The Avengers Watch RWBY
by Katana of the Blade
Summary: Inspired by Sondow23's Generation STRQ watches the Future. Thor discovers Loki has been looking into another world with the idea of taking it over and has been saving his findings. Luckily for Thor, it's Black Widow's birthday and the amusing findings of Loki would make a perfect gift, so he brings them to her and she decides the Avengers should watch it together. My first story.
1. Discovery & Red Trailer

**A/N: Hello, everyone! Thank you for reading my story! That being said, this is my first story, so I'm sorry if it isn't that good. Please be nice in the reviews if you leave them. Thank you!**

* * *

Thor discovered Loki's secret frozen lair in Asgard after his brother had meddled in the affairs of Midgard, sending in ice trolls to freeze New York. "Loki!" Thor boomed as he appeared in the middle of the chamber in front of his startled brother. "I warned you once before to cease your meddling in the affairs of Asgard!" He snapped.

"Ah, yes, brother, I did indeed hear your warning," Loki started, looking away for a moment, "Hard not to hear that noisy buffoon," He grumbled, before turning back to Thor with a smirk on his face. "But I decided not to heed it and do as I please." Loki said, readying his scepter. "And defeating you would please me very much!" He said.

"Then prepare to be disappointed once again, brother!" He said, readying Mjolnir, firing his lightning as Loki shot an energy beam from his scepter at Thor, the powers meeting in the center and briefly struggling against the other in an attempt to overpower the other force for their master, but eventually Loki's energy was overtaken and the Prince of Lies was blasted back into a wall at the end of a hallway, disarmed of his scepter. Looking up at Thor in panic as the God of Thunder readied his hammer, quickly hurrying down the hall to the right. Thor grumbled and hurried after Loki, rounding the corner and flinging Mjolnir the instant he cleared the corner, forcing Loki to dive to the ground to avoid the hammer, which proceeded to smash through a pillar instead. "Ooh... Hopefully the other pillars can hold the roof up... best not linger to be safe." Thor said to himself, calling Mjolnir back to him as he approached Loki, who just got back to his feet, using a nearby table to pull himself back up, only for Thor to grab him and pin him to the table. "Now, brother-!" Thor snapped, raising Mjolnir again.

"No, wait! Thor, I yield!" He pleaded.

Thor let out a shout and prepared to swing the hammer, planning only to hit the table and scare Loki to ensure the trickster did indeed surrender, but instead was distracted as he noticed a strange orb of light in the middle of the table, producing a large projection of a group of young warriors fighting a small army of strange monsters. "What is this?" Thor asked.

"Ah, yes, my scrying mirror. Well, you see, brother, after the CONSTANT interfering of you and the rest of your annoying Avengers friends, I decided to perhaps find a different realm or world FAR from the likes of you I may be free to take over. And I must admit, this one interests me." Loki said as he watched a bit of the vision with Thor.

The God of Thunder also seemed to be taking interest in the fighting, but noticed that much of these visions seemed to revolve around for young girls. "Spying on young girls brother? I honestly didn't think I could be more disappointed in you." Thor jabbed.

"Oh, shut up, you big ape! I can say with certainty that there has been no amount of lecherous imagery or behavior in the entirety of the events I have seen!" Loki defended himself.

"Interesting. I may have to take this off your hands, brother. Today is the Black Widow's birthday and she may enjoy this as a present." Thor said, before looking at the orb of light projecting the image. "Although, I may need alternate means to display these images. Assist me in doing so and I may see to it that Father will be lenient in your punishment." He said.

Loki sneered at this, however. "Give me one good reason why I should help you!" He snapped.

"Remember when we were boys!?" Thor demanded, raising Mjolnir in a different, yet horrifyingly familiar way to Loki.

"No! Not the hammer noogie! Anything but that!" Loki pleaded, before letting out a sigh. "Fine!" He snapped. Suddenly, The light changed and turned into a number of DVD's, case and all.

"See? Doesn't it feel good using your talents for something useful?" Thor asked, somewhat teasingly, picking up a case. "Ru.. Ru-wiby? Strange name..." Thor pondered.

"It's pronounced 'Ruby', you fool! Like the gem! The name is an acronym, like those S.H.I.E.L.D, cretins you and your super friends work for!" Loki snapped. Then he simply sighed at this. "Just get me to Odin. I've had enough of our 'brotherly bonding' for one lifetime." He said as Thor collected the DVD's and placed a hand on Loki's shoulder, having Heimdall take them back to Asgard.

* * *

Meanwhile, at Avengers tower, Natasha Romanoff AKA the Black Widow, smiled as she opened her next gift from Hawkeye, a coffee mug with the former assassin printed on it as an adorable chibi figure. "Aww, how sweet, Clint. I always wondered how I'd look as cute little cartoon." Natasha said with a small giggle, setting it next to the rest of her presents: a CD of ballet music from Hulk, a new suit from Iron Man, offering twice the protection without limiting her agility or maneuverability and a pack of baseball cards from Captain America..

"Just thought I'd get you something to remind you how cute and precious you are." Clint Barton, better known as Hawkeye said, jokingly as ever.

"Wow, do you ever get tired of making lame pick up lines?" Tony Stark AKA, Iron Man, asked.

"Do you ever get tired of saying how much of a genius you are?" Clint countered.

"Touche'." The billionaire conceded.

"Guys, can we not fight on days like this, it's Natasha's birthday, it's supposed to be about her, not messing around and jabbing at each other like always." Steve Rogers, or Captain America, told the feuding Avengers.

Natasha chuckled at this. "Thanks, Cap, but I'm just happy to spend the day with my friends, so part of that is letting my friends be themselves," She said, to which all the avengers smiled at.

"Well, isn't that sweet. Too bad all your friends didn't show up, though." Tony said, giving somewhat of a glare to Thor's empty seat.

"Yeah, where's Goldilocks? Couldn't even show up on Widow's birthday?" Hulk, the brutish yet heroic alternate state of Bruce Banner, asked, angry that Thor would miss something important like this.

However, as if on cue, the God of Thunder entered the room. "Fear not, friends! I made it. I merely had to deal with my brother again." Thor explained, the Avengers nodding in understanding and slight annoyance at the mention of Loki. "But, it did have one advantage. Loki had an excellent gift." Thor said, handing Widow the DVD's.

"R.W.B.Y, huh? The title sounds interesting at least. And the girls on the front look like they mean business." Widow said as she observed the case artwork.

"Loki tells me it is pronounced 'Ruby', much like how SHIELD is meant to be pronounced without the break in letters." Thor explained.

"But SHIELD is still spelled the same if you take the periods away. Take them away and that sounds like Ruh-wiby." Tony poked fun at the name.

"Well, I'm pretty interested in checking it out. It'll be nice to watch something while we have some cake and ice cream." Widow said, heading to the TV and setting it up.

"Yeah! Cake!" Hulk said eagerly.

So, the Avengers each got a slice of cake and a scoop or two of ice cream (or, in Hulk's case, the rest of the gallon) and watched as the show started...

* * *

 **The beginning chords of "Red Like Roses" were heard as the black revealed the words:**

 **ROOSTER TEETH presents...**

"What an absurd title! Even Midgardian children know roosters do not have teeth!" Thor scoffed.

"It's probably meant as a gimmick or a joke, Thor. Something to catch the people's eyes, not to be taken seriously. Like that sun screen with the puppy pulling down the girl's swimsuit. You ask me, that girl should've been a little older." Tony explained.

"Really? THAT'S the first place you went?" Steve questioned the billionaire.

"I'm liking the music so far..." Widow said, lightly swaying with the soft, lulling music.

 **The text glowed and scatters in red and white petals, and the full moon is shown amid falling snow and a floating red petal.**

 **A new series by MONTY OUM** (Rest in Peace, Monty)

"Monty Oum, huh? Props to him, then. Animation looks nice so far." Stark said.

 **Several more petals joined the original, which passed over the words and dissolved them in red and black.**

 **A figure in a red hood and flowing cloak was seen under the moon and in a snowy landscape, the cape constantly producing dozens of wind-blown rose petals. An altar was seen near the edge of the cliff that the person was standing at, who turned and walked away to let the Avengers see the rose symbol on the marker and the words "Summer Rose - Thus Kindly I Scatter".**

"What is the meaning of that altar?" Thor asked. Asgard doesn't (or at least no longer) bury their dead and mark graves with tombstones, they ship the bodies in ceremonial boats off the sea to the end of the world.

"It's a grave, Thor. The kid's paying respects to someone close they lost. By the name, I'm guessing her mother." Steve said solemnly. They had all seen the cover and assumed it was the first girl, likely the "R" of "RWBY".

"Oh..." Thor said, a bit ashamed at his ignorance.

"What I wanna is why flower petals keep coming from her cape." Hulk said. No one had an answer for that.

 **The red-hooded wanderer slowly walked through a snowy forest, where shadowy, beastly shapes quickly darted through, before coming to a clearing and coming to a stop, the screen briefly cutting to black, returning to a panning shot of around a dozen black-coated, red-eyed Beowolves circling their prey.**

"What are those things? They don't look like regular wolves to me. They look like some kind of werewolves." Steve wondered.

"The child is in danger." Thor said, somewhat concerned.

"A girl about to be mauled, not the way I'd start the show." Tony said, also a bit worried.

"Just wait. I'm sure she can handle herself." Widow said, confident in her fellow female.

 **Three of the monsters decided to dash forward and attacked through jumping, but the figure disappeared in a swish of rose petals, to which the creatures crashed to the grounded and looked up.**

 **Outlined by the moon's light, her cape swirling around her body, was the girl, who reached behind her in slow-motion, pulled out a rifle, and fired a shot that blew a large part of a Beowolf's head out in a burst of blood-red smoke.**

The Avengers all jumped slightly at this. "WHOA!" They all shouted.

"Man, I don't know what that thing is, but it's got some power! And the girl's got some nice aim!" Hawkeye said, impressed.

"It looks like some kind of high-powered rifle that can be changed into a compact form for concealment and carrying convenience." Tony said, wanting to get a look at the weapon himself.

"Looks like the werewolves bit off more than they can chew!" Hulk smirked.

"Yeah, they did! Come on, short stuff! Show them what a little girl power can do!" Widow said, getting into the action, eager to see how the girl handled herself.

"Let's see what she can do!" Steve said as they kept watching.

 **More Beowolves started to attack as the girl landed. She leapt over the first beast and shot it in the back, then, still in the air, blasted another one's side and got into a position where she can fire at the third dead center. She rolled back and stood, unfolding her weapon into its larger - and deadlier - scythe form.**

"Now it's a scythe?!" Hawkeye asked in disbelief.

"An impressive choice of weapon! Few Asgardians used scythes, but the ones that did were mighty, fierce warriors!" Thor said approvingly.

"This girl keeps getting cooler by the second!" Widow said in amazement.

"That thing's gotta be bigger than her!" Hulk said.

"I gotta see some blueprints for that thing!" Tony said, just trying to imagine how something like that would work.

"Maybe not something I'd use, but it looks like it'll get the job done." Cap said as he watched.

 **One of the braver Beowolves went forward, but the girl merely spun, hooked its body in the curve of her blade and smiled at the camera as the monster growled, then fired the sniper section at speeds that severed the creature's body in a shower of petals** (earning a cheer from Hulk and Thor). **Both halves landed on the ground, continuing to bleed roses as it dissolved, the rest of the pack charging.**

(It faded away like nothing. So it's not any normal animal. Then I guess we don't have to feel bad about her cutting them to ribbons.) Captain America thought.

 **The girl rotated the weapon, unloaded her spent bullet and drove the blade into the ground, firing from a single spot at several approaching monsters until one swiped at her feet, narrowly missing as she jumped up with her scythe and blasted back, digging it into the ground again when she saw more creatures emerging from the woods.**

"Oh, come on! More of 'em! That's a little demoralizing." Hawkeye said, imagining himself in that position. He'd be running short on arrows at this point.

"She doesn't seem too worried." Widow said.

"Just more stuff in the way that needs to go." Hulk said.

"A warrior never runs from a challenge and this girl is most certainly a warrior!" Thor cheered.

 **A Beowolf almost got her with its claws, but she twisted out of the way, fired at the monster in front of her to make the weapon and wielder spin, and kicked at the one behind her.**

"Ooh, now that's style!" Tony said.

 **She twirled the scythe and cut down Beowolves from both sides, dodging another attack to hook a beast in and blasted out at an approaching creature to kill both.**

"She's doing a great job keeping them at the right range and balancing offense and defense." Steve noticed.

 **The girl leapt over two, went in to dismember and cut down one, and caught another's neck in her blade with her on the beast's back before pulling the trigger and beheading it while flying upwards. Two Beowolves followed, but she shot her way down and slices them up when she has to block from a wolf's swipe on the ground, which pushes her back and lets her see the large number of enemies left.**

"Good save with the block." Widow said.

"Yeah, but look at how many that are left! That's a tall order for one person-" Hawkeye started.

"Not for me." Hulk said.

"Nor I." Thor added.

"Well, it is for a little girl!" Hawkeye countered.

"With everything we've seen so far, I'm guessing she's got something up her sleeve." Tony said.

 **Nodding, the girl dropped her previous cartridge, inserted another with a cross symbol, loaded it in, and blasts off at a higher speed than ever before, coming at the dumbfounded Beowolves like a rocket when she converted the scythe to a sickle-shape and spun her way through the mass, cutting up and down, left and right, leaving bullets, rose petals, and blackened body parts flying into the air. She disemboweled them quicker and quicker until the last one fell, she blasted into a jump, and landed in a pose with her scythe hanging behind her as bullets rained from the sky.**

The Avengers were left in awe at this, trying to process what they just saw. But after a moment, Thor, Hulk and even Widow were on there feet, cheering. "Oh, yeah! Don't ever say us girls are the weaker gender!" Widow said, proud Ruby is setting an example as a strong female character.

"For such a small child, this girl is a mighty warrior!" Thor cheered.

"Yeah! She made those werewolves look like overgrown puppies!" Hulk laughed.

"I'd say she could even give you, me or Widow a run for our money." Cap said to Hawkeye.

"Yeah! She put all those monsters down before her bullet casings even hit the ground! Stark, how fast you think she had to be going?" Hawkeye asked.

"To take out all those beasts before her casings hit the ground, she would've had to have dealt with them in less than a second. Without making too many calculations, a rough estimate is at least the speed of sound." Stark said, although he sounded like he couldn't even process it.

 **The girl's form was darkened to a silhouette against the red moon while credits were seen under her image, right before the picture spun and slid itself into the collection of other unseen girls, though the girl's concept art was illuminated once more a moment and the title of the show is announced as RWBY  
**

"Huh. Looks like this and the next 3 episodes are just little trailers to introduce us to the girls on the cover and let us see a little of what they've got and what they're like." Tony said.

"Yeah, we saw Red there was awesome and super fast!" Hulk said.

"And she still managed to smile every now and then, so we can assume she's still pretty innocent and playful, despite slaughtering a small army of those werewolves." Widow analyzed.

"But they were some kind of strange monsters, bleeding rose petals and dissolving into nothing, they weren't any kind of animal, so it's not like she was being cruel to any animals." Captain America added.

"Even if they were, they came at her first. She had plenty reason to defend herself." Hawkeye said.

"Either way, if she's the first, I can't wait to see what the next ones are." Widow said, playing the next episode.

* * *

 **There we go, the first episode is done! Thank you for reading this. Sorry if the set up to the reaction was weak, it was all I could think of. I also apologize, I had planned on giving Tony a decent moment to math out and analyze just how fast Ruby was actually moving, but the video that had all the math and such done must have been deleted or removed, because I couldn't find it, so I didn't have the proper calculations to confirm Ruby's actual speed. But still, I hope you enjoyed it and I'll try to get the next episode out as soon as possible.**


	2. White Trailer

**A/N: Hello, everyone! I'm amazed and so happy to see so many people are already enjoying this story! Also, I received a review about this, so I thought I'd answer here in case anyone else has the same question: The Avengers in this story are mostly based off the cartoon version from Avengers Assemble, with a bit of their movie personalities as well, so that's why you're seeing more of Hulk than Banner, as in the cartoon, they spent more time as Hulk than Banner. I hope that clears up that question for everyone and I hope you continue to enjoy the story!**

* * *

"Alright. It looks like next is the White Trailer, where we get to meet little miss side ponytail. Guess she doesn't like symmetry." Tony said, gesturing to the girl in white on the cover, who, like he said, had an off-center ponytail on the right side of her head.

"From the look of it, she uses a rapier. I'm guessing her style's about speed and finesse." Widow analyzed.

"A rapier? Those are those swords they use in fencing. That never made me think of them as deadly. We'll have to see." Steve said.

 **Darkness gave way to reveal the words:**

 **"Everyone is entitled to their own sorrow, for the heart has no metrics or forms of measure. And all of it... irreplaceable."**

The Avengers had no words for this statement, all of them simply closing their eyes to think of their own past sorrows and regrets

 **"Ladies and gentlemen, please welcome... Weiss Schnee." A** **n amplified voice announced.**

"Anyone else have a hard time catching that?" Hawkeye asked, the others nodding

 **A young girl in white with a barely visible scar over her left eye walked out on stage into the spotlight as a piano played the opening of "Mirror Mirror" before a crowd of people, occasionally taking pictures from their stands around the white castle they appeared to be in. She closed her eyes and began to sing.**

 **"Mirror, tell me something. Tell me who's the loneliest of all..." Weiss sang.  
**

"The girl has the voice of an angel." Thor said approvingly.

"But if those lyrics have any personal meaning. That's a bit sad." Widow said, being able to relate to loneliness.

 **While she sang, the view sinks down into her scar-free reflection on the stage, the world tilting until she opened her eyes and found herself in another place, the light and shadows shifting until a warrior in giant armor with an equally massive broadsword appeared before her.**

"Whoa! A little girl is gonna fight that big monster!? I don't know about this one..." Hawkeye said.

"And why not, exactly?" Widow asked with an annoyed tone, causing Clint to flinch a bit. Much like with the girl in red, Natasha was also confident in this Weiss girl. After all, Widow herself goes up against creatures Hulk's size from time to time.

"I don't doubt her, but it's gonna be tough to get through armor like that." Tony said.

"A guy that big with a sword that size is gonna hit hard. She'll have to move fast and avoid getting hit if she wants to win this." Steven analyzed.

 **She backflipped just as the Giant Armor brings its blade down on where she was, and the song continued as her flashback took over.**

 **"Mirror, tell me something. Tell me who's the loneliest of all?" Weiss continued to sing off-screen.  
**

 **Weiss unsheathed her own rapier, Myrtenaster, and darted forward, getting a hit on her enemy before twirling into a landing. The Giant Armor swung again, but she dashed away and landed several spinning slashes on the creature. It retaliated when she uppercut into the air, arcing its sword around and hitting Weiss' rapier, which she brought up just in time to merely knock her back.**

"Whoa! This girl's gotta be at least as fast as that red girl." Hawkeye said.

"I'll say. She's dancing circles around that guy." Tony agreed.

"An excellent start! She's landed several hits already! And only received one she managed to block!" Thor said.

"I could crush that tin can easy." Hulk said.

"But you're not the one fighting it. We know what you can do, big guy, we want to see what SHE can do." Widow said.

"You know, her rapier may be the best weapon for dealing with this guy. It's small enough to hit all the weak points and openings in the armor, so she can do more damage." Steve said.

 **When she slowed down, Weiss looked up to see the Giant Armor leaping into the air and hurling the sword down on her, then swinging it back up in an effort to get its fast-moving target. It finally hit her blade again, and she is knocked away until she rolled back on her feet.**

 **"Fear of, what's inside of me. Tell me can a heart be turned to stone?" Weiss sang off-screen.  
**

The Avengers frowned at this. "Sounds like this girl's got a lot of baggage." Tony said.

"Sounds like she's scared of herself, or what she could turn out like. What could her life be like to make her that way?" Widow wondered.

 **With white energy now gathered on her fingertips, Weiss motioned to the ground beneath her, and a snowflake symbol appeared that propeled her forward at extreme speeds. Despite the Giant Armor's attempts to slash at her, Weiss disappeared and reappeared all around it, leaping through the air using her glyphs and landing a blow with each pass.**

This was the first jaw dropping moment of the trailer for the Avengers. "Whoa! She's got some magic on her side or something! Strange should have a look at this."Hawkeye said.

"If the big guy had trouble getting his hands on her before, he's got no chance now." Widow said.

"The young maiden has landed many impressive hits! We even saw her opponent lose some ground!" Thor said.

 **After a slash to the face, the Giant Armor aimed at Weiss' feet, who leapt over it and got an undefended fist to her head** (earning a wince or sympathetic "ooh!" from the Avengers). **Weiss was launched yet again, but this time, her attempt to get back up was weak and unsure.**

"Come on, kid! You can do this!" Widow said.

"Do not give up, young Weiss! Stand and continue fighting!" Thor encouraged.

"A nasty hit like that without armor. I don't think I'd be getting up, either." Tony said.

 **A worried Weiss closed her eyes, and in the real world, the spotlight suddenly cut out.**

(I don't like the look of that.) Steve thought worriedly.

 **The moon made itself known when the clouds in front of it passed, showering Weiss in its light as she sang, eyes still closed. In her mind, she stood back up, eyeing the Giant Armor with blood trailing down the left side of her face** (The Avengers winced a bit again), **and held out her sword, spinning the revolver in the hilt until a red energy appears over the blade. The Giant Armor ran up and dropped its sword on her, but it met her rapier and was deflected off.**

This left the Avengers shocked once again. "Whoa! She just knocked back a giant sword like that! I think we underestimated her!" Hawkeye said.

"That's one hell of a comeback." Widow said, pleasantly surprised.

"So, her weapon is also some kind of revolver. And whatever's in the red chamber is some kind of powerful energy. Can't wait to see what's in the other chambers." Tony said eagerly, thinking of different types of missiles he could put in one of his suits for something of similar effect.

 **"Mirror, mirror, what's behind you? Save me from the things I see! I can keep it from the world. Why won't you let me hide from me?" Weiss continued to sing.  
**

"This song's a buzzkill." Hulk grumbled.

"Definitely not the happiest song I've ever heard." Widow said.

Steve said nothing, but also felt sympathy for the girl, wondering how sad her life must be to bring about a song like this.

 **Weiss switched it up and spun, a cyan light now creating a wave of ice when she struck it into the ground that froze the Giant Armor in place. It swung again, but Weiss ran ahead and jumped on the sword.**

"Ice, too! This girl's full of surprises!" Tony said.

"I certainly wouldn't have seen that coming. The ice or jumping on the sword." Steve agreed.

"Indeed! This girl's bravery rivals that of Lady Sif's! And yours of course, Black Widow." Thor said, quickly adding that sentence at the end as Widow glared at him.

 **Myrtenaster was now glowing yellow, and she rolled on the broadsword and slashed at her foe, destroying the ice crystals in shards of purple but impaling its weapon into the ground.**

"You're in trouble now, tin can!" Hulk smirked

"Aha! She has disarmed her opponent! Victory is imminent!" Thor laughed.

 **She rotated the hilt again and a snowflake circle spun under her when the Giant Armor tried to hammer its fist down on her, but she rolled out of the way and activates the glyph, launching the warrior up into the air and becoming trapped by Weiss' beams of blue energy.**

"She's got him trapped!" Hawkeye said.

"I have no idea what that could even be!" Tony said in shock.

"There's no way for him to get out of this! It's over!" Widow said.

 **"Mirror, mirror, tell me something. Who's the loneliest of all?" Weiss sang the line once more.  
**

 **With one final leap into the air and her real self singing the last lines of her song, Myrtenaster glowed with the white markings on its blade and Weiss descended onto the Giant Armor. When her attack was done and she landed in a crouch, the black hollows of the enemy lit up and crashed to the ground in a shower of ice and snow behind her.**

 **"I'm the loneliest of all." Weiss finished the song.  
**

The Avengers were once again in awe at this, before Thor began laughing loudly. "Incredible! She fought not only with speed and grace, but great power and astounding mystical abilities!" Thor said.

"She turned that tin can into scrap! Bet she could even scrap some of your suits, Tony." Hulk teased.

"I HIGHLY doubt it. But I'll admit, she does have a lot to bring to the table." Tony said.

"Yeah. She already fights with incredible speed and precision, but the versatility from those glyph things and all the different elements she has in the revolver of that sword. She'd be a tough opponent for anyone." Steve analyzed. "Gotta say, though, the lyrics to this song keep bugging me. Something tells me that girl has a few issues she needs to work out." He added. The rest of the Avengers nodded, though still had to admit, her voice was perfect for singing.

"So, that's where the scar came from." Widow said as the blood was removed from Weiss' head, a better view of the scar being shown.

"And did anyone else see that scary mist come out of the suit... which shattered when it hit the ground. It has to be something like those wolf things that Red fought." Hawkeye said, the Avengers agreeing, feeling more at ease about the creature's fate.

 **Weiss got up and closed her eyes, finishing Mirror Mirror to a gentle shower of snowflakes and a roar of applause from her audience. She opened her eyes and looked around as if in a daze, then peered up at the slightly-scattered moon above.**

"Odin's beard! It would appear this world's moon is broken!" Thor said.

"If that happened here, besides most likely a bunch of debris falling to Earth and causing serious damage, the tides would probably be out of control." Tony said.

"Well, no one's panicking, so it must be normal for them." Hawkeye said.

 **She dipped her head and bowed to th** ** _e_ crowd ****as the curtains closed around her, followed closely by RWBY's title and the silhouettes of its characters, the as of yet unnamed girl in red and now Weiss Schnee.**

"So, we know two of them now." Steve said.

"We only know one, really. We still don't even know the name of the girl in the red hood." Widow said.

"Until we actually learn her name, my vote is we call her Red." Hawkeye said.

"Better than nothing." Hulk said simply.

"They gotta say her name at some point. So, how about we keep watching and find out." Tony said.

"Agreed! I wish to see more of these warriors! Let us see what comes next!" Thor boomed.

"Alright, then. Let's see what the girl with the bow has to offer." Widow said, playing the next trailer.


	3. Black Trailer

"Alright. It looks like next up is the girl with the bow." Steve said as he looked at the cover art once again.

"Eh. Bows belong with arrows, they don't belong on your head." Hawkeye said, the others rolling their eyes.

"Calling it right now, she's hiding something under that bow." Tony said.

"She looks like the calm, quiet type compared to the other girls. I think I'll like her the best." Widow said.

"Enough talking about her, let's watch her wreck stuff!" Hulk said.

"Yes! For once, Hulk, we are in complete agreement! Let the episode commence!" Thor said as Widow played the next episode.

* * *

 **The opening quote was shown:**

 **"Your hopes have become my burden. I will find my own liberation."**

"Sounds like this girl's been pulled into something that isn't her fight. Or what she's fighting for now isn't what she used to be fighting for." Captain America said, many of them remembering at one point or another how SHIELD had been taken over and turned against them. Thankfully, as always, that was resolved in the end.

"Then hopefully she can get away and start fighting for what's right again." Widow said, reflecting a bit on her own past before SHIELD.

 **The girl in black sat on a rock outcropping watching red leaves drift down in the Forest.**

 **Adam walked up to her. "Blake, it's time." He said.  
**

"Good. Another one where they say the name right off. We don't have to guess or wait for the name." Widow said approvingly.

 **She slowly turned toward him. "Okay." She complied.  
**

 **The camera drifted down to show a train rushing through the forest. Adam and Blake slid down the hill onto the top of the train, stabbing their swords into the roof to stop themselves. They then rushed ahead to the next train car, where Adam sliced the lock on the hatch and they dropped in.  
**

"They're breaking onto a train!" Captain America said accusingly.

"Looks like it. But, nothing we can do about it." Tony said.

"Maybe the train's run by bad guys?" Hawkeye suggested.

"Let us find out. We will not get anywhere on speculation alone." Thor said.

 **Upon boarding it, they enter a car full of AK-130 Androids. "Looks like we're gonna be doing this the hard way." Adam said.  
**

 **The Androids activated and circled the duo. "Don't be so dramatic." Blake said.  
**

"That's not being dramatic. That many robots would make things difficult for anyone." Widow said.

"It's like Ultron all over again." Hulk agreed.

 **An Android activates the guns on its arms. "Intruder, identify yourself." The android ordered.  
**

 **Adam responded by** **pulling the trigger on Blush, shooting Wilt out of the sheath into the head of the robot. He then dashed forward, catching the sword mid-air before slashing the robot, cutting it clean from neck to under its left shoulder as he resheathed Wilt.**

"Whoa!" The Avengers all said at once, surprised by the action.

"He just shot his sword out of the sheath! It must be something like Red's scythe, a combination of a sheath and a gun." Tony said.

"It does look quite a bit like a rifle, now that you mention it." Steve agreed.

"Looks like he uses Iaido, unsheathing the sword, striking super quick, removing the blood and re-sheathing the sword." Hawkeye analyzed.

Everyone turned to him in surprise at this. "And how do you know this?" Widow asked. She knew Clint was well-versed in several different martial arts, but she can forget with how flippant and nonchalant he can be. That and she almost never sees him fight without his bow.

"Hey, I'm more than just a bow and arrow guy. I put the bow away for a bit as Ronin the samurai, remember?" Hawkeye asked.

"Well... We appreciate the information, friend Hawkeye. Thank you very much." Thor said, shaking off his own shock.

"Even bird boy has his moments." Hulk said.

 **The remaining robots switched their arms to a blade mode and began charging at Adam and Blake. Two come up behind Blake, but she jumped backwards and used Gambol Shroud to split them both at the chest. She leapt forward to cover Adam's back as he sliced at several advancing robots. Adam used Blush to fire at the robots as Blake backflipped to evade another robot.**

"Looks like we've got another speedy fighter who get by on avoiding attacks." Tony said.

"But did you notice that? It looked like she left a copy or image of herself behind that vanished after it got hit." Steve added.

"Interesting. So she has a decoy to distract the enemies and catch them off-guard while she gets into an favorable position. Nice. So even though they all rely on speed and not getting hit, each girl still has something unique to bring to the table." Widow said.

"A fascinating ability. Perhaps she is a form of illusionist... Like Loki..." Thor said, excited at first, but then sighed at the thought of his brother. But then again, it was thanks to him they could watch the show, so he was grateful for that.

 **They cut down several more robots before one switched its arms into a minigun mode. It fired rapidly at Adam and Blake, but Adam was able to deflect the bullets that got too close. After Adam sheathed Wilt, Blake charged towards the robot and it resumed firing. She was able to deflect the bullets and got close enough to decapitate the robot. She immediately sliced down another robot and cut off another's legs. She rapidly unsheathed Gambol Shroud to begin dual-wielding the sheath and the katana before striking another robot, then leapt into the air and slammed it into the floor.**

"Nice! Dual-wielding. That's good for versatility. And she can attack from multiple directions and overwhelm her enemies." Hawkeye said.

"Okay, now you're showing off. But yes, it is pretty useful. Back in the war, a pistol worked pretty well along with my shield." Cap said.

"It looks like the sheath's more like a heavy cleaver. That'll cut through the tougher stuff pretty nice." Tony noted.

 **Blake charged towards the remaining robots and began cutting them down rapidly, slicing off one's arm and shoving her sword through another. She reached the last robot in the train car, knocked it into the air, then proceeded to slice it several times before landing on the floor. The robot was still in the air when Adam leapt up and kicked the robot out the door of that train car and onto the flatcar ahead. A number of other robots ran towards them from the other end of the flatcar.**

"More scrap for the junk pile." Hulk said.

"If these were Stark robots, those two wouldn't have gotten half this far." Tony boasted.

 **"Let's do this." Adam said.  
**

"You don't have many other choices at this point." Hawkeye said.

"Yeah. Jumping off a moving train would be hard enough without robots trying to kill you. And something tells me they won't leave without what they came for." Widow agreed.

"Indeed. Their intentions remain unclear, but what is clear is that they're on a mission they do not intend to abandon." Thor said.

"Anyone else think that guy has horns?" Hulk asked. The others had to look closely, before noticing some small black appendages on top of Adam's head that did indeed look like horns.

"Wow. Nice catch, Hulk. Points for you, big guy." Tony said, high-fiving the green Avenger, although had to shake his hand to alleviate the pain after.

 **Adam hit a couple of robots up into the air, Blake leapt up towards them to slice them up, and Adam partly unsheathed Wilt to knock them away with the hilt. Blake switched Gambol Shroud to its kusari-gama/pistol form, throwing the sickle part past one of the robots, and pulling on the ribbon while using the pistol shot to launch the blade back towards her, cutting the robot in half.**

"A kusari-gama, too! And a pistol. So this girl has weapons in one and something to deal with close, mid and long range." Hawkeye said.

"A literal triple threat. I like it!" Widow said, impressed.

"Yeah. This girl definitely has her bases covered." Steve agreed, although he was still troubled by why they were on the train in the first place.

"Man, I'd love to get my hands on some of these weapons. If I could figure out how some of them work, I could make something like them here. You could probably put them to good use, Widow... But, maybe a little less lethally." Tony said as Blake bisected the last robot.

"Hm... Maybe. I'll stick with my stingers and shock sticks for now." She said.

"I have no intentions of replacing Mjolnir, but I might like to try the scythe if you could recreate it, Man of Iron. After all, I never received a birthday present when you bestowed their own Hulk Buster suits upon the other Avenger." Thor said.

"They weren't Hulk Busters. I busted them. I don't need any fancy weapons, tools or armor." Hulk boasted.

 **Adam jumped forward and kicked the upper half of the robot away while it is falling as Blake swung her sickle around to cut down another robot. Blake jumped in the air and swung the sickle blade around in a spherical motion several times using its gunfire, cutting down three more robots and getting the sickle wrapped around the neck of a fourth. Adam leapt forward and sliced the fourth robot as Blake fired off the pistol, pulling the robot's upper half into the air.**

 **Rushing forward, Adam sliced up six more robots, causing five of them to explode. Blake charged up from behind, cut off the sixth robot's head, and then knocked another robot up into the air using Gambol Shroud's katana form. She lunged forward as Adam took down another robot, using the kusari-gama form of Gambol Shroud to perform a continuous pinwheel attack that launched two other robots into the air. Adam then fired a shot from Blush to send one of the robots flying back.**

"Their teamwork is pretty impressive. They're pretty well coordinated and in sync with each other." Cap noted.

"Yeah, but if one thing hurts this girl's presentation, it's that she's got him with her." Tony countered.

"Agreed. Young 'Red' as you call her and Weiss were able to face their foes alone. Impressive as she is, Blake fights alongside this man to help her." Thor agreed.

 **Adam jumped up and sliced the other robot further up into the air as two robots approaching from behind were kicked into the air by Blake. The three robots were then sliced repeatedly by Wilt, keeping them in the air until Blake jumped up and sliced through all three, with one going further up into the air with her. Blake kicked the robot down, while Adam sliced another as it was falling then shot it with Blush as it fell behind him. He sheathed Wilt and then he and Blake headed into the next train car.  
**

"Blake MIGHT have taken down more robots than her partner, but you guys do still have a point. The others could do it on their own. But maybe she'll make up for it later." Widow said, hoping herself that what she said will be true.

 **Adam opened a box and examines the contents inside. "Perfect. Move up to the next car." He said, closing the trunk. "I'll set the charges." He added.  
**

"So they are here for illegal reasons. They're gonna blow up the train." Steve growled.

"Hey, Take a look at those symbols on the crates in the back. Doesn't it look familiar?" Tony asked.

"It bears quite the resemblance to the symbol on the back of young Weiss' jacket." Thor confirmed.

"Maybe a little different, but yeah, they're definitely close enough." Hulk agreed.

"So, they're more than likely about to blow up a train full of stuff that belongs to Weiss. Really hurting this girl's image right now." Hawkeye said.

 **"What about the crew members?" Blake asked.  
**

 **"What about them?" Adam asked uncaringly.**

"Well, at least she cares about the crew. That's something." Widow said.

"Yeah. So at the very least, she's redeemable." Steve agreed, lightening up a bit.

 **Adam then turned his head around and saw a Spider Droid climbing down from the ceiling of the car. Adam moved to fight it. "Adam."** ** **Blake said anxiously.****

 **The Spider Droid swiftly attacked, using its quartet of cannons to shoot at Adam, who either deflected or dodge every shot, using Wilt and Blush. Blake then lunged forward, launching her own attack, only to be head-butted by the massive robot.**

"Now there's something that looks worth smashing!" Hulk said.

"Indeed! Certainly more of a challenge than the scrap soldiers they faced before." Thor agreed.

 **As the Spider Droid advanced upon her, Adam suddenly unleashed a flurry of blows, each only momentarily stunning his enemy. When he finished his attack, he took a moment to glance over his shoulder at Blake. The Droid then kicked Adam away, distracting him with a barrage of cannon fire before moving to crush Blake beneath one of its massive feet. However, Adam quickly moved in, grabbing Blake and fleeing to the other end of the car.**

"Yeah, I'm just gonna make some blueprints up real quick." Tony said, pulling out a pen and paper and drawing the robot and its cannon to the best of his ability.

Hawkeye chuckled at this. "Gotta hand it to you, Stark, you sure don't waste time looking for new toys to make." He said.

"What can I say? I like to tinker." Tony countered.

"Adam had to save her. She's definitely not representing like Red or Weiss." Widow said, slightly disappointed.

 **"We need to get out of here." Blake said as he set her down.  
**

 **The Droid quickly combined its cannons to unleash a massive energy barrage, which sent the duo crashing through a metal bulkhead, and out onto a flatbed car. As the Droid began to close the gap between the two, Adam turned towards Blake, taking up a charging attack pose. "Buy me some time!" Adam instructed.  
**

 **"Are you sure?" She asked.  
**

 **"Do it!" He ordered.  
**

"Yeah, something tells me Blake's not even gonna get the finishing blow." Hawkeye said.

"If she can weaken or slow it down in any way, then she'll still be doing something vital to the mission. Just getting the final blow doesn't make you the most important person in the fight." Cap said.

 **As Blake rushed the Spider, it continuously launched barrages of energy at her, which she swiftly dodged. She then used Gambol Shroud to divert one cannon, while embedding the blade into the thick armor, allowing her to launch herself far into the air, before swiftly coming back down with two furious slashes from her weapon. She then equipped both the sheath and katana form of Gambol Shroud before attacking two leg joints and the head in rapid succession, forcing the Spider Droid to stumble. This gave Blake an opportunity to slam her katana into and through the base of the Droid's skull and rapidly open fire, causing no effects other than slight disorientation. As Blake regrouped with Adam, the Droid combined its cannons again.**

"Not bad." Tony said.

"She didn't do much damage, but she did buy Adam some time, that's all he asked of her." Cap agreed.

"Heh. She could've at least taken off a leg or something." Hulk said.

"Against a mean machine like that, I'd be happy to just get out alive." Hawkeye said.

"The robot has readied its cannon again! Hopefully this Adam has a plan." Thor said.

 **"Move!" He ordered, just in time for the barrage to be launched at Adam, who absorbed all of the energy fired at him using his weapon's blade. Adam laughed as his body's red colorings glow intensely.**

The Avengers were surprised by this, but Stark was the first to recover and speak."He absorbed the energy! That means he's got all the power of that beam to spend for his next attack!" He said.

"Let's see if he can make it count." Cap said.

 **The Droid leapt at Adam, and when it came mere inches from impact, Adam unleashed all of his energy in one blow, causing the Spider to slowly recoil and disintegrate. This even affected the trees in the Red Forest, causing their leaves to fly into the air.**

The Avengers were in awe and disbelief once more at this. "I THINK he made it count." Hawkeye said.

"It even took off some of the leaves from the trees." Widow said.

"Most impressive. Even I would rather not be on the receiving end of that attack." Thor said.

"I bet I could take it." Hulk said.

"For everyone's sake, hopefully we never find out." Cap said.

 **As Adam walked back towards Blake, he found her on a separate train car standing near the connector between the cars.**

 **As he reached out to her...**

"She's gonna detach the cars." Widow realized.

 **"Goodbye." She says sadly, severing the connection and letting the released carts slow down as she let the rest of the train continue en-route. As she left, the background became completely red with a black silhouette of Blake in the middle, with black leaves falling down. Then the camera zoomed out from the RWBY title card and the silhouettes of the girl they started calling Red, Weiss Schnee and now Blake Belladonna became defined** ** _._**

"So in the end, it looks like Blake managed to redeem herself." Cap said approvingly.

"Not the most heroic start, but then again, most of us can't say the same, either." Widow agreed.

"Yeah. And Adam may have done most the work, but Blake's skills certainly aren't anything to sneeze at." Hawkeye said.

"Indeed. Her skills are quite masterful. She reminds me of the warriors you refer to as 'ninjas'." Thor agreed.

"And that weapon of hers is definitely more versatile than that sword Adam was swinging around if you ask me." Tony added.

"Maybe not one of our favorites now, but maybe she'll get better later." Hulk agreed.

"Well, looks like there's only one left now. Gotta say, I'm looking forward to this one a lot." Tony said, admiring the artwork of Yang and the proportions of her body.

"Easy there, Stark. She looks a little young for us." Steve said sternly.

"Still, she seems like the kind of girl that likes to hang out and crack a few jokes. I'd like to see what she's like, too." Hawkeye admitted.

"This young maiden certainly knows how to take care of her hair." Thor said, looking at Yang's hair, running a hand through his own flowing mane.

"Who cares about her hair? I wanna see how she fights!" Hulk said.

"Alright then, Blondie. It's your time to shine." Widow said, playing the next trailer.

* * *

 **A/N: And another chapter done! Thanks you all for the constant support. Hopefully you guys liked it. And I know I'm kind of removing the mystery element a bit by saying the character's names and the names of their weapons before the names of the character or weapon are spoken, but it's easier than saying "the man" or "the girl" did this with "their weapon", not to mention, Crescent Rose is the only weapon that is called by name in the entire series so far, so it's unfair to call the other weapons "Weiss' rapier" or "Yang's gauntlets", since they're never addressed by name in the series and again, it's much easier. So, if anyone was wondering that, I hope that clears it up. Thanks again for the love and support and enjoy this chapter until next time!**


	4. Yellow Trailer

"Alright, looks like Thor's daughter is the last one in the trailers, then we get to the actual show." Stark said.

"The girl is not my daughter, Stark! Granted, she does look like she could be, but I assure you she's not!" Thor said defensively.

"Ooh, getting defensive. Secret family we don't know about, Blondie?" Hulk taunted.

"You are nearing a line you should not cross, Hulk!" Thor snapped, holding his hand out to summon Mjolnir, before Cap and Hawkeye got in between them to calm them down.

"Alright then, Blondie. It's your time to shine." Widow said, playing the next trailer.

* * *

 **A quote faded in:**

 **"Scathing eyes ask that we be symmetrical, one sided and easily processed. Yet every misshapen spark's unseen beauty is greater than its would be judgement."**

"What's that mean?" Hulk asked.

"I think it means just be yourself. Be happy with who you are, don't worry about what other people think. Everyone's beautiful in their own way." Steve explained.

"'Tis a powerful message indeed." Thor said, the other Avengers smiling and nodding.

 **Yang was shown riding her motorcycle through the streets of Vale** (Steve silently nodded, approving the choice of vehicle). **She eventually stopped in front of a club that is blasting music. As she walked through the club, she saw Roman Torchwick ending a conversation with Junior.**

"Something tells me we're gonna be seeing more of that guy who just left in the future." Tony said.

"He does have that mob boss look about him." Hawkeye agreed.

"So the guy he's talking to is in cahoots with him." Hulk said.

"More than likely." Tony confirmed.

 **She made her way to the bar where Junior stood. "Strawberry Sunrise. No ice. Oh, and one of those little umbrellas." Yang said to the bartender.  
**

"Nice choice." Tony said approvingly.

"She's too young to be drinking." Cap said with a small glare.

"Chill, Cap. One drink every once in a while never hurt anyone." Tony countered.

"The lass seems to be on a mission. It wouldn't be wise to drink and impair herself." Thor said.

"She's probably trying to get information from the guy, I doubt she's really there to drink." Widow said.

 **"Aren't you a little young to be in this club, Blondie?" Junior asked.  
**

 **Yang giggled. "Aren't you a little old to have a name like Junior?" She asked.  
**

"He is." Tony and Clint agreed, chuckling a bit.

"So, looks like we're not getting her name just yet. Hopefully we hear it by the end of the trailer." Widow said, somewhat disappointed.

"Blondie, huh? She's even got your nickname!" Hulk taunted Thor again.

"You are trying patience..." Thor said.

 **"So you know who I am. You got a name, sweetheart?" He asked.  
**

 **"Yes, Junior, I've got several. But instead of sweetheart, you can just call me sir." She said, running her hand down his just, then suddenly grabbed his groin and squeezed it painfully causing Junior to cry out in pain comically.**

All the male Avengers, even Hulk, winced and crossed their legs at this while Widow simply smirked. "Told you. I've put that method to good use a few times before... And probably will again." She said, giving the other Avengers a sly, dangerous look that made them all gulp.

 **"People say you know everything," She started, bringing her scroll up to his face, showing him a picture. "Tell me where I can find her and I'll let you go." She bargained.  
**

 **"I've never seen her before, I swear!"** ** **Junior said, straining in pain.****

 **"Excuse me?" Yang demanded, squeezing harder.  
**

 **"I swear, sir!" Junior said, still straining.  
**

"Is it bad I want her to let him go?" Tony asked.

"Very few people deserve that. I don't fault you." Cap said.

 **Junior's henchmen began to gather around. "Hmm, looks like we have an audience. This must kind of embarrassing for you, huh? Awkward..." Yang teased.**

"Understatement of the year, folks." Hawkeye said.

 **"Listen, Blondie sir. If you want to make it out of this club alive, I suggest you let me go. Now!"** ** **Junior pleaded, straining.** She let go and Junior sighed in relief. "You'll pay for that!" He snapped. He put on his sunglasses and walked away from her. **

"You know, clubs need bouncers, but I'm pretty sure they're not supposed to use AXES." Tony said, noting the axes most of the thugs are carrying.

 **Yang followed closely behind. "Oh Junior, I was just playing with you! Don't be so sensitive! Come on, lets kiss and make up, okay?" She offered, leaning forward a bit and puckering up.  
**

 **Junior stopped and turned around. "Huh? Uh, okay." He agreed, leaning in, puckering up his lips.  
**

"Really? We were just telling Stark she's too young." Cap said angrily.

"She's not really going to kiss him. Watch." Widow said, knowing from personal experience where this would go.

 **The instant they were about to connect, she punched him in the face sending him flying across the room, breaking through a glass pillar and crashing into the bar on the other side. He looked up, dazed, with hearts flying around his head dizzily, a cocktail mixer falling on his head, knocking him out.**

"Whoa!" Tony and Clint said at the same time, shocked at how far she sent him flying, even through a glass pillar.

"Told you." Widow said confidently.

"Serves him right." Steve said.

"YEAH! Good hit!" Hulk cheered.

"Such strength for one so young! Most impressive!" Thor said approvingly.

 **The surrounding henchmen respond by charging at Yang, who deployed Ember Celica, changing the gold bracelets into gauntlets, ejecting a shotgun shell and jumping up into the air, readying a fist, which appeared to be on fire, slamming the fiery punch into the ground, sending a ripple through the dance floor that knocked the incoming henchmen off their feet.**

"Odin's beard! This girl must easily be the strongest of the 4 we've seen!" Thor said in shock.

"She punches stuff! I just found my favorite!" Hulk said.

"Definitely the most straightforward of them, but that's not always a bad thing." Cap said.

"Hey, Stark, I changed my mind about sticking with the shock sticks. If you could upgrade my stingers to be like those, that'd be great." Widow said.

"I'd probably make a pair for myself first." Tony said.

"Shotgun gauntlets. Let's see her put 'em to some good use!" Hawkeye said.

 **As the henchmen got up, Yang charged at one, jumping into the air and performing a somersault kick on her first victim. She then turned around and uppercut a second one, following it up with a spinning kick that sent another two tumbling away.**

"Looks like she's a kickboxer. It's nice to see some of the simpler styles every so often." Cap said.

"With a little high tech weaponry to back it up." Tony agreed.

"Simpler definitely doesn't always mean less effective." Widow added.

 **As the rest charged at her, Yang shot at the first one in front of her and kicked behind her at another. Another henchman swung at her from behind, but she swept his legs out from under him and punched him up into the air, only to slam him into the ground. She then took a couple steps toward an oncoming henchman to jump up and launched herself off of him, allowing her to deliver a flying punch to another henchman. This was quickly followed by her rushing forward as she dispatched yet another nearby opponent. As the fallen henchman collapsed, he landed on the henchman behind him, sending him stumbling back. He attempted to block the oncoming punch from Yang, but to no avail, as Yang simply broke straight through her opponent's guard before delivering an uppercut.**

"Yeah! Get 'em!" Hulk cheered.

"Yes! The brawl with fists are too few and far between! This is a spectacle worth watching!" Thor cheered as well.

"Sad to say, looks like she's got us beat, too." Clint said.

"From the looks of things, she's definitely stronger, but we've beaten people stronger than us before. But, I'd be lying if I said I want to fight her." Steve said.

"I'd like to see her mix it up a little, maybe show off just what those gauntlets can do." Widow said.

 **She then noticed several more assailants approaching from behind and fired a shot, using the recoil to send her flying towards yet another group of enemies. She elbowed the first henchman and kicked him away while another attempted to swing at her, but was promptly blocked and shot in the face. Yang then swung around under his arm and punched him once more. This was followed by another spin as she kicked, punched, and kicked him again, with the final hit sending him flying backwards through a glass pillar.**

"Wish granted, Nat." Hawkeye said.

"She definitely didn't disappoint." Widow said.

"Using the recoil of her own weapon to propel herself and add power to her hits. Very impressive." Steve analyzed.

"My repulsors work pretty similarly. They're just as much for helping me get around as they are for helping me fight." Tony said.

"She's fast and strong. Good combo." Hulk said.

"Indeed! The girl is even fierce enough to be my daughter." Thor said.

"So you admit it?" Hulk smirked.

"No, I do not! I'm saying I'd like to have a child like her, not that I do!" Thor said.

 **Yang turned around to see the final henchman charge and swing at her. She promptly blocked the blow and punched his chin, stunning him and allowing her to follow up with a flurry of blows that conclude with an uppercut that launched him into the air. Yang then delivered a final punch that sent him flying back.**

"That looks like all of them." Steve said, before they saw the DJ reaching for a machine gun.

"Or not!" Hawkeye said, surprised.

 **Upon clearing the dance floor, Yang spotted the DJ pulling out a machine gun before firing down at her from his booth. Yang charged towards the booth, dashing from side to side in order to avoid the incoming fire. Once close enough, she jumped up, firing her shotgun-gauntlets at the floor for additional propulsion. As she landed, she places a hand on the mixing desk before swinging her legs around, kicking the DJ in the face. This sent him stumbling back. Yang then spun and landed with her back facing him, only to fire once more to elbow him in the face. She then slammed his face into the table, picked him up, and launched him off by firing. He landed at Melanie and Miltia Malachite's feet, unconscious, with his "helmet" rolling away.**

"Oh, come on! She can even dodge machine gun fire while running at the shooter! When did teenage girls become better than us?!" Hawkeye asked.

"Since this apparently. But she also stayed on the move to make it hard to hit her. She was smart about it. But yeah, still no denying she's crazy fast like the others." Steve said.

"Who're those girls!?" Hulk demanded.

"Likely more challengers for our young heroine. Let us see how they fair against her!" Thor said eagerly.

 **"Melanie, who is this girl?" Miltia asked.  
**

 **"I dunno Miltia but we should teach her a lesson." Melanie said.  
**

"Oh, valley girls." Natasha said with slight annoyance.

"You can try." Tony said, not confident in their odds.

"They seem close, so I'm assuming they're pretty well coordinated and know how to fight together." Steve assumed.

 **Yang ejected the current casings from Ember Celica, loaded another belt of ammunition into each gauntlet and** **jumped from the podium, unleashing a barrage of shell-shots in mid-air at the Malachite Sisters, which they evaded by backflipping away. After recomposing, the sisters charged at Yang as she landed on the dance floor, continuing her barrage. As the sisters split to opposing sides, with Yang focusing her barrage on Melanie, they began their counterattack, with Melanie dodging and deflecting Yang's bullets while Miltia took a swipe at Yang from behind.**

 **Ducking to avoid Miltia's strike at the last second, Yang turned and fired at her, only to have Miltia jump to avoid it as Melanie landed behind Yang and retaliated with a heel-kick. Yang blocked the kick with her gauntlets forcing herself back a distance away from the sisters.**

"Good strategy, splitting up, making her focus one over the other, letting them work their way in to attack from the front and the back." Steve analyzed.

"Big deal. They didn't land any attacks on her." Hulk said.

"She's fine for now, but if they keep up the tag team effort, they're gonna catch her off-guard eventually. They already put her on the defensive after some SERIOUS offense." Tony said.

 **Yang quickly grounded herself and fired a round at them, which Melanie deflected with a front-flip heel-kick off into a pillar. Miltia quickly closed in on Yang and delivered a couple of swipes that Yang defended against, only to have Melanie follow up with a series of jump-kicks while Yang was off-balanced. Blocking each attack, Yang quickly fired a round in response, which Melanie ducked to avoid. Miltia swooped in with a downwards swipe while Melanie swept Yang's right leg and finished with a series of kicks that made contact, launching Yang across the stage.**

"The two are indeed formidable together. A difficult obstacle to overcome." Thor said.

"If she could separate them, that'll already lighten the load, but the two seem to rely on each other, so without the other, they'll be at a huge disadvantage." Widow analyzed this time.

"Not to mention that Miltia girl seems a little timid. Getting separated from Melanie might be a big hit to her confidence and she could slip up pretty easy." Tony added.

"Come on, Blondie, smash 'em!" Hulk cheered.

 **Yang rolled and quickly regained her footing, firing both gauntlets to propel her back across the stage and landing a hard right punch onto Melanie's face, knocking her down. While Melanie lied stunned on the floor, Yang confronted Miltia in close-range melee combat, with Yang firing rounds with each punch thrown and Miltia defending with her claws. However, Yang overwhelmed her with a low kick, a series of boosted body shots, and a final round from Ember Celica, blasting Miltia off the stage.**

"Told ya." Tony said.

"I hate any chance you get to say that." Hawkeye groaned.

 **Melanie finally recovered from Yang's punch just in time to see her sister get flung into a pillar overhead. Yang confronted her by firing off a round at close-range, which Melanie again avoided by backflipping. After avoiding another round into the ground, Melanie retaliated with an upward leg swipe before kicking a third round point-blank in order to deflect it. Both Yang and Melanie resorted to close-range melee combat, with Yang throwing boosted punches and blocking with her gauntlets while Melanie kicked and swiped as she defended with the blades of her boots. A hard side-kick pushed Yang away as each take a second of reprieve before Melanie closed in on Yang.**

"It also looks like this girl doesn't handle kicks very well. That could be a problem in the future." Steven added.

"Neither one's done yet. We can only wait and see." Widow said.

"Come on, get her!" Hulk roared.

 **Feinting with her boots to keep Yang off-balanced, Melanie shifted herself along the stage, forcing Yang to back-step continuously. This left Yang unable to ground herself while defending against Melanie's feints and kicks. A longer series of kicks from Melanie allowed Yang to finally ground herself, spinning to dodge Melanie's last kick while retracting Ember Celica and landed a body blow with her left elbow. Yang quickly grabbed Melanie's right arm and used it to twist and spin the rest of Melanie's body, using the built-up momentum to land a final devastating jump-kick to Melanie's face, knocking her down.**

"YEAH!" Hulk cheered.

"Well fought!" Thor cheered as well.

"The girl's certainly got some kicks of her own." Tony said.

"Spinning and twisting her around like that is probably what I would've done. The girl's got some good moves." Widow said.

"Yeah, but something tells me it's not over just yet. Melanie got back up after only a minute or so. Remember who had a lot longer than that to recover by now." Steve said.

 **The holograms in the club suddenly turned off and a spotlight shined around as the Malachite twins retreated from the dancefloor turned arena, the spot lights falling on Junior as he brought out his Bazooka. "You're gonna pay for this." He said angrily.  
**

"She already knocked you out once, buddy. You're just giving her an even better reason to do it again." Widow said.

"A bazooka?" Hawkeye said in disbelief.

"From everything we saw, we can guess he owns this club. Shooting off a bunch of missiles in your own place isn't the brightest idea. The damages and insurance will be hell. I know from experience." Tony said.

"The girl's already wrecked the place, he might as well go all out." Steve said.

 **Junior fired off a stream of rockets from his weapon's bazooka form, and Yang backflipped and side rolled to dodge several. Upon righting herself, Yang then destroyed several more incoming rockets with well-placed shots from Ember Celica.**

"Forget the machine gun, Clint, dodging and shooting rockets out of the air is what you should be jealous of." Steve said in disbelief.

"If those are anything like rockets we have here, they're going about 294 meters per second, or 660 miles per hour. So to blast 5 or 6 of them out of the air like she did, she'd have to be moving at least 40% faster than them, so she'd have to be punching and shooting those faster than the speed of sound." Tony said in shock.

"Yep. It's official. We can't compete with her." Hawkeye said, his eyes open super wide.

"Props to her, then." Widow said.

 **Advancing, Junior changed his weapon to its bat form and struck at Yang multiple times, with the latter managing to defend and block all but one, causing her to recoil and stumble. This gave Junior an opening to hit her in the face, sending her flying backwards into a glass structure.**

"How are they not getting cut to shreds by all this glass?" Hawkeye asked.

"Blake and Adam survived getting hit with a giant laser. Compared to that, broken glass is nothing to worry about." Widow said.

 **Yang pushed herself to her feet, her hair ablaze and shining gold. She then slammed her fists together, creating a minor shockwave, before dashing forward. Junior armed his rocket launcher and started firing wildly, each shot missing as Yang sidestepped and evaded them. She quickly closed the gap between them, dodging a strike from Junior before laying into him, landing seven punches, each amplified by her weaponry. The final punch sent Junior flying back, his weapon broken in two, one piece of it in one hand, a lock of Yang's hair in the other**

"Oh, she's gonna be mad now." Widow said, knowing that's the easiest way to anger any woman...

... And Thor. "No! Not her hair! You never mess with a warrior's hair!" He shouted, horrified at the thought of losing his own long, flowing mane.

"Smash him up good for that!" Hulk cheered.

"You didn't notice that apparently she has some sort of fire powers as well?" Steve asked, surprised.

"These girls keep surprising us." Tony said.

 **The sight enraged Yang, who promptly engulfs herself in a huge explosion of fire, which shattered the dance floor. She then charged Junior at an astonishing speed, landing one final blow square in the jaw, which sent him flying through a window into the street** **,** **landing in front of Red,** ** **incapacitated, effectively ending the fight.** Yang came outside shortly after. **

"Man, he is looking at one hefty repair bill." Tony said.

"After a hit like that, he's lucky to be alive." Steve said.

"Oh, look. Red's here." Hawkeye said.

"The two must know each other. Hopefully they'll say each other's names." Widow said.

 **"Yang? Is that you?" Red asked.  
**

"Yang. An excellent name for such a powerful young beauty." Thor said.

"She's my favorite, that's for sure. Now what's Red's name?" Hulk asked as if they TV could hear him.

 **"Oh! Hey sis!" Yang said happily, her eyes turning back to their normal lilac color.  
**

"They're sisters!? But they don't look anything alike!" Hawkeye said.

"Maybe they're half-sisters I'm guessing different mothers." Tony said.

 **"What are you doing here?" Red asked. A side image is shown of the sisters standing across from each other, allowing for a better view of the moon.  
**

"Okay, so the moon is nearly broken in half. How can this world survive?" Tony asked.

 **Yang sighed before the screen cut to black. "It's a long story." Yang said.  
**

 **The RWBY title pans from the left of the screen before unveiling all four characters: Red, Weiss Schnee, Blake Belladonna and Yang Xiao Long.**

"That's all of them. And all of the trailers. Now we can finally move onto the real show." Tony said.

"They better tell us who Red is, then. I'm sick of not knowing." Hulk said.

"It is strange. She was the first introduced, yet we know the least about her." Thor agreed.

"Then let's keep watching and see what we find out." Steve said.

"What do you say, birthday girl? It's your call." Hawkeye said, looking at Black Widow.

"I say it's time to get the real show started." Widow said, playing the first episode: Ruby Rose.

* * *

 **A/N: Finally! The last of the trailers! Now onto the real show. Thanks again to all of you who have favorited, followed, reviewed and all around supported this story, it means a lot to me. Also, I hope I was right with the bit of math I gave about Yang having to move so fast to stop the rockets. Wiz should've brought that up in the Death Battle, surely that's a feat worth calculating. So if any of you reading this are really good with math and can help me calculate some of these feats in future episodes, I would really appreciate it. But for now, I hope you enjoy this chapter until I can get the next one finished and posted. It may take me longer than the trailers, so please, bear with me.**


	5. Episode 1: Ruby Rose

"Well, this is it, boys. Time to start the real show." Widow said.

"First episode's called Ruby Rose. I'm guessing that's Red's name." Tony said.

"Alright, then. Time to finally meet this mysterious main character of ours." Steve said, playing the episode.

* * *

 **Fade-in to an image of Beacon Academy  
**

"Impressive castle. Not as much as my home in Asgard, but still nice." Thor said.

 **"Legends. Stories scattered through time. Mankind has grown quite fond of recounting the exploits of heroes and villains, forgetting so easily that we are remnants, byproducts, of a forgotten past." A woman narrated.  
**

"It's true, people do love talking about us." Iron Man said.

The other Avengers rolled their eyes at this. "And a lot of us forget the past and what came before us." Steve added, trying to emphasize the point of the narrator.

 **The gems in the image glowed green and faded to show simple pictures of a man rising from the earth before being surrounded by creatures, barely held back by warriors.**

 **"Man, born from dust, was strong, wise, and resourceful, but he was born into an unforgiving world. An inevitable darkness — creatures of destruction — the creatures of Grimm - set their sights on man and all of his creations. These forces clashed, and it seemed the darkness was intent on returning man's brief existence to the void." The narrator continued.  
**

"I liked the green crystal." Hulk said.

"The creatures of Grimm. So that's what Red was fighting in her trailer." Natasha said.

"And they're creatures of destruction that only want to destroy humans. Then they really are monsters." Steve said.

"So, then we really don't have to feel bad when they get dropped. Good to know." Hawkeye said.

"Indeed. No need for remorse towards mindless beasts." Thor agreed.

 **Black set in, then suddenly lessened as a light grew brighter and brighter until a gem rose from it and lowered itself into the hands of man.**

 **"However, even the smallest spark of hope is enough to ignite change, and in time, man's passion, resourcefulness, and ingenuity led them to the tools that would help even the odds. This power was appropriately named 'Dust'." She proceeded.  
**

"Dust? Lame. Why not call it something powerful and intimidating? Or at least cool. Something like 'Omega stones' or 'super rocks'! Anything's better than dust." Hawkeye said.

"Those names could use some work, too. But it might not just be for weapons. Like Stark's tech. Sure, he can make it into weapons, but he also makes actual helpful things with it." Steve said.

"Thanks." Tony said.

 **The scene zoomed out to show men shooting lightning, raising swords, and aiming rifles at the retreating beasts as a castle appeared behind them.**

 **"Nature's wrath in hand, man lit their way through the darkness, and in the shadow's absence came strength, civilization, and most importantly, life." She went on.  
**

"So that's how that Weiss girl was doing all that stuff when she fought that armored behemoth in her trailer." Natasha realized.

"So there's some science behind it, not just magic. I can roll with that." Tony said.

"You still deny the existence of magic, even after working with myself and Doctor Strange?" Thor asked.

"What is it you always say? You come from a place where they're one in the same? That means magic is just a science we don't understand yet." Tony said.

"Quit bickering! Watch the show!" Hulk said.

 **The castle zoomed out to show a map of Remnant, which housed other buildings until they disappeared in flashes of white and the map is lowered to show the scattered moon over a city at night.**

"So the moon truly is destroyed. Troubling." Thor said.

"No one seems to be panicking about it." Hawkeye said.

"I'm more interested in the map of their planet. those continents look pretty small compared to ours." Steve said.

"Not to mention strangely shaped. And pretty thin in some places. A decent enough Earthquake could break pieces of them right off." Natasha said.

"I kinda like that dragon-shaped on, though." Tony said.

 **"But even the most brilliant lights eventually flicker and die. And when they are gone... darkness will return." She said ominously.  
**

 **Roman Torchwick and four of his henchmen head down an alley from the shadows. They stop behind Roman, who reignites his cigar without touching it and grins before walking down the road, frightening nearby citizens as they make their way towards the shop From Dust Till Dawn.**

"Told you we'd see more of him." Tony said.

"They're gonna rob that shop." Steve said, glaring a bit.

"Worry not, Captain. I am certain someone will show up or be there to stop it." Thor said confidently.

 **"So you may prepare your guardians, build your monuments to a so-called 'free world', but take heed... there will be no victory in strength." She finished.  
**

"Is this starting to feel more like a conversation than narration to anyone else?" Clint asked.

"You're right. She's definitely talking to someone now rather than telling a story." Natasha agreed.

 **Roman and his henchmen enter the shop, the camera lowering to a young girl wearing a hooded red cloak in the corner of the shop, reading a weapons magazine.**

"Hey, it's red!" Hulk said.

"Well, you were right, Thor. Nothing to worry about." Steve said, relieved.

"Naturally." Thor said.

 **"But perhaps victory is in the simpler things that you've long forgotten. Things that require a smaller, more honest soul." A man's voice suddenly said from nowhere, as if speaking to the narrator.  
**

"Who's this now?" Clint asked.

"I'm guessing we'll find out eventually." Tony said.

 **The henchmen looked around and at the Dust crystals in the display when Roman approached the elderly shopkeeper.**

 **Roman flicked his cigar. "Do you have any idea how hard it is to find a Dust shop open this late?" He demanded.  
**

 **One of the henchman pointed his gun at the shopkeeper.**

The Avengers narrowed their eyes, Hulk growling a bit.

 **"P-please! Just take my Lien and leave!"** ** **The shopkeeper pleaded, raising his hands.****

 **"Shhh, shhh, shhh, shhh, calm down, we're not here for your money." Roman said calmly, before turning to the henchmen. "Grab the Dust." He ordered.  
**

 **A henchman opened a case and removed one of several cylinders, which the group used to take Dust from the tube containers on the walls.**

 **"Crystals. Burn. Uncut." One of the henchmen ordered,** ** **placing another open case on the display to the shopkeeper.****

 **The shopkeeper proceeded to fill the case.**

"Huh. Pretty diverse methods of using this Dust stuff." Tony analyzed.

"You should be more concerned with how dangerous it is and how much they're taking." Steve said.

"Red's there, she's got this." Hawkeye said.

 **As another henchman went for another tube, he heard the muted "This Will Be the Day" song from the girl's direction, and unsheathed his sword. "Alright kid, put your hands where I can see 'em." He demanded. No response. "Hey, I said hands in the air! You got a death wish or something!?"** **He snapped,pointing his sword at her back.**

"She can't hear you, genius." Natasha said, annoyed.

"Yeah, if you can hear it from there, there's no way she can hear you over it, right next to her ears." Tony said.

 **He went over to her and turned her around, the hood dropping to reveal a surprised Ruby Rose wearing headphones. He motioned for her to lower them.**

 **"Yes?"** ** **Ruby asked after doing so.****

 **"I said, put your hands in the air, now!" He ordered.  
**

 **"Are you... robbing me?" Ruby asked.  
**

 **"Yes!" He confirmed angrily.  
**

 **"Ooohhh..." She said dangerously.  
**

"Oh, he messed up!" Natasha said, smirking at the familiar tone in Ruby's voice.

"He's toast." Hulk said with a smirk.

 **Roman was waiting for his men to finish the heist when a "Hey!" and "Hyah!" were heard, and the threatening henchman flew past him. Roman calmly motioned for another to handle Ruby.**

 **"Freeze!" The next henchman demanded,** ** **raising his gun at her.****

"Yeah, I don't think that'll work." Tony said.

"I almost feel bad for him." Steve said.

 **Cut to outside the shop, when the henchman and Ruby crashed through the window. The other men looked outside as Ruby got up and unfolded Crescent Rose into its scythe form. Roman scowled, but Ruby smiled back at them before twirling the weapon around, striking it into the ground and turning off her headphones.**

"Ha! The scythe makes it's debut again!" Thor cheered.

"Most low-level thugs in our world would be peeing their pants about now." Hawkeye said.

"But can she use that thing without killing anyone?" Steve wondered.

"I'm sure she's learned a few non-lethal ways of dealing with regular criminals." Tony said.

 **"Okayyy..." Roman said awkwardly, before looking to his remaining henchmen. "Get her!" He ordered.  
**

 **The henchmen headed out of the shop and ran at Ruby, who spun around on top of her scythe and kicked the first approaching criminal in the face. She got Crescent Rose out of the ground and fired it off to hit another one with the butt of her weapon, sending him flying. She fired again and brought the side down on one attacker and dodged the next's gunfire with her rifle's speed, getting close enough to knock him into the air and follow him upwards so she could beat him away to Roman's feet.**

"The young warrior shows her skills once more!" Thor cheered again.

"Oh, they didn't stand a chance! That was over in seconds!" Hawkeye said.

"And she didn't kill anyone. Very well done." Steve said.

"She swatted them like bugs." Hulk smirked.

 **"You were worth every cent. Truly, you were." He said, tapping the ash off the end of his cigar before turning to Ruby, dropping his cigar and crushing it with his cane as approaching police sirens were heard. "Well, Red, I think we can all say it's been an eventful evening, and as much as I'd love to stick around..." He said, raising his cane and opening the bottom to reveal a rifle with a cross grid. "...I'm afraid this is where we part ways." He said.  
**

"If I ever need a can, I'm making myself something like that." Tony said.

"Oh, come on! Is everything in this world a gun!?" Hawkeye said in disbelief.

"Really? You find the cane to be the strangest weapon? We have weaponized canes in real life, whether they hide swords or have tasers built in." Widow said.

 **Roman unleashed a red blast at Ruby, who fired at the ground and leapt over it. When she landed and looked up, Roman wasn't there, and was climbing up a ladder on a nearby building.**

"Come on! Is everyone in this show super fast?!" Hulk asked.

"He probably has some gear on him to get him over there." Tony said.

"Regardless, he clearly is not your average thief." Thor said.

 **"You okay if I go after him?"** ** **Ruby asked the onlooking shopkeeper.** The shopkeeper gave a short "Uh huh", and Ruby set off. Roman made it to the roof, with Ruby high-flying again and landing right behind him. "Hey!" She called after him.  
**

"'Hey'? That's all she's got? She could've at least said 'hold it' or something. You're a superhero. Make some quips." Hawkeye said.

"You don't need to make jokes all the time, Hawkeye." Steve said.

 **"Persistent..."** ** **Roman said, stopping at the edge.** Ruby readied to fight him, but a getaway Bullhead rose up and opened the hatch to allow Roman inside. "End of the line, Red." ******He shouted, turning around and holding up a red Dust gem.** He threw it out at her feet and fired at her, resulting in a large explosion.**

"No!" Steve said.

"She's the main character, there's NO way they just killed her off like that. Natasha said.

 **"Whoa-ho-ho-ho!" He laughed like a madman, but soon stopped laughing when he saw something on the roof. "Huh?" He said in confusion.  
**

 **A woman in a purple cape was now in front of Ruby, casting a circle of protection over them with her wand.**

"Well, hello." Tony said as he saw the older blonde.

"A powerful mage or sorceress, by the look of it." Thor said.

"On second thought, not interested." Tony said.

 **As Ruby looked on, Glynda Goodwitch waved her weapon and summoned several streaks of purple at the craft. Roman was thrown around in the back until he went to the cockpit, where a woman in red, her face unseen, was struggling with the controls.**

 **"We got a Huntress!" He informed her.  
**

 **The woman got up and headed toward the back as Roman took the controls.**

"So, it looks like this woman is the real mastermind here." Natasha said.

"She's obviously more capable than he is, otherwise they'd take off rather than fighting." Steve noted.

 **Glynda glowed purple for a moment and aimed another blast above the craft, resulting in a dark storm-cloud right over the jet.**

 **"The hell...?" Roman demanded. With a flick of her wand, large jagged hail started falling that pummels the jet and even broke through the window, narrowly missing Roman's head.**

"Looks like someone makes better storms than you, Goldilocks." Hulk taunted.

"I must admit, her manipulation of the weather is quite impressive." Thor agreed.

 **The woman reached the back and her arms and chest lit up like fire, aiming a burst of energy at Glynda. The Huntress blocked it, but the flame splattered behind her and glowed hot with the enemy's raised hand. Glynda backflipped out of the explosion, which destroyed part of the roof, and magically gathered the shards to create a large arrow, which she threw at the craft. The fiery woman shattered the arrow with several blasts, but it reformed just in time to hit the side of the jet due to Roman's quick aerial lean. The wreckage separated and reshaped into more arrows that encircled the jet, but the woman summoned several glowing rings around herself that expanded and destroyed the shards.**

"Both of these women display impressive power." Thor said.

"Definitely not the kind of people that should be taken on one-on-one." Steve said.

"Speak for yourself. I could take on either of 'em easy." Hulk said.

"Hey, Red, you forget you have a sniper rifle? You can help, too, you know." Hawkeye yelled to Ruby as if she could hear him.

 **Ruby, finally acting, reverted her scythe into its rifle form to fire at the woman, who blocked each shot with her hand and created several blazing circles around her two opponents. Glynda telekinetically pushed Ruby and rolled herself out of the explosion's radius; looking up to see the hatch close and the craft fly away.**

"Yeah, that sure worked well." Natasha said, looking at Clint with a smirk, who chuckled nervously.

 **"You're a Huntress!"** ** **Ruby said, looking at Glynda in amazement.** "Can I have your autograph?!" ******She asked, putting on a pleading, awe-stricken face.****

The Avengers all chuckled at this. "How many times do we get this when we save people?" Tony asked.

"Better question, how many times do you offer people your autograph after you save them?" Natasha countered.

"Oh! She got you, Stark!" Clint laughed.

"Hey, now. The important thing is that people appreciate us." Steve said.

* * *

 **The scene cut to Ruby's amazed face turned to one of shame as Glynda, with a tablet computer, paced around the table Ruby was seated at, right underneath a bright light in the otherwise dark room.**

 **"I hope that you realize that your actions tonight will not be taken lightly, young lady. You put yourself and others in great danger." Glynda scolded.  
**

 **"They started it!" Ruby argued.  
**

"Classic kid argument." Clint chuckled.

"Everyone was fine. It wasn't that dangerous." Hulk said.

"I agree. The child shouldn't be punished for her actions." Thor agreed.

 **"If it were up to me, you'd be sent home... With a pat on the back..." She started, then noticed Ruby's smile. "...And a slap on the wrist!" She snapped, demonstrating by hitting the table with her riding crop, which Ruby barely avoided as she gave out an "Eeek!".**

"Then what's the point, Either punish or reward her, but don't do both. That'll just confuse her." Tony said.

"I don't see a reason for her to be punished. She non-lethally put down a number of criminals who were surely arrested, stopped a robbery and possibly saved that shopkeeper's life." Steve said.

"Those explosions could've hurt her, but that Blake girl took a couple of lasers, so surely Red can handle a few explosions." Natasha said.

 **"But... there is someone here who would like to meet you." She said as she moved out of the way so a surprised Ruby could see a man in green come through the doorway, holding a mug and a plate of cookies.**

 **"Ruby Rose..." The man said, leaning in to look at her face. "You... have silver eyes." He said.  
**

 **"Uh, um..." Ruby said, unsure of what else to say.  
**

"Yeah, that's not creepy at all." Hawkeye said.

"Well, Silver is a pretty rare eye color." Tony said.

"Hey, at least we finally know her name now." Natasha said.

"About time." Hulk said.

 **"So! Where did you learn to do this?" He asked, gesturing with his head at the tablet showing Ruby's fighting.**

 **"S-Signal Academy." She answered.  
**

 **"They taught you to use one of the most dangerous weapons ever designed?" He asked.  
**

"'Tis true, scythes are difficult to wield, as well as quite dangerous." Thor admitted.

"That just means they can deal huge damage!" Hulk said.

"Agreed. And mastering the challenge of wielding one is its own reward!" Thor agreed.

 **"Well, one teacher in particular." She explained.  
**

 **"I see..." He said simply as he put the cookies on the table in front of Ruby. She tentatively picked one up, eating it in a single bite, and then, not seeing any rebuttal, shoveled several more into her mouth.**

"Reminds me of Hulk when Falcon brought cookies in when he first joined." Tony said teasingly.

"Then you all fought like kids over them." Steve added.

"Not our fault. They were good cookies. Falcon's mom knows how to make some killer oatmeal cookies." Natasha said.

 **"It's just that I've only seen one other scythe-wielder of that skill before. A dusty, old crow..." The man pondered.  
**

 **"Oh! That's my uncle!"** ** **Ruby mumbled through her full mouth.** She then swallowed and wiped her mouth, embarrassed. "Sorry. That's my Uncle Qrow! He's a teacher at Signal. I was complete garbage before he took me under his wing. And now, I'm all like— Hooowaaah! Witchaaaa!" She explained, then proceeded to make some karate-style poses and noises.**

"Huh. That's nice. Someone in her family taught her to fight." Steve said.

"Yeah. And there's not too many good uncles in movies and TV, so that's a good change of pace. Props to uncle Qrow." Tony said.

 **"So I've noticed." He said, placing his cup on the table as he leaned in, then sat down opposite Ruby. "And what is an adorable girl such as yourself doing at a school designed to train warriors?" He questioned.  
**

 **"Well... I want to be a Huntress." Ruby explained.  
**

 **"You want to slay monsters?" He asked.  
**

"Nope, she wants to take up gardening with that giant scythe of hers." Tony said sarcastically.

"We've seen her in action. She's definitely good at slaying those things, so why not make it her career?" Hawkeye said.

"So, they got a school for heroes, like Fury." Hulk said.

 **"Yeah! I only have two more years of training left at Signal! And then I'm going to apply to Beacon!" She explained, talking faster and faster with her enthusiasm growing. "You see, my sister's starting there this year, and she's trying to become a Huntress, and I'm trying to become a Huntress 'cause I wanna help people. My parents always taught us to help others, so I thought, Hey, I might as well make a career out of it!" She went on, giggling. "I mean the police are alright, but Huntsmen and Huntresses are just so much more romantic and exciting and cool and really, gosh, you know!" She asked, flipping out at the last part, staring at the two with a wide, crazy smile.**

"Ha! See! I was right!" Hawkeye boasted.

"She might be a bit too excitable, but her heart's in the right place." Steve said with a smile.

 **Glynda and the man studied her.**

"They do not seem to share your opinion, Captain. They appear unamused." Thor said.

 **"Do you know who I am?" He asked.  
**

 **"You're Professor Ozpin. You're the headmaster at Beacon." Ruby answered.  
**

 **"Hello." Ozpin said, smiling.  
**

 **"Nice to meet you." She said.  
**

"Well, that's convenient." Natasha said.

"At least she's making a good first impression. She's definitely the kind of kid they'd want at a school for hunters." Steve said.

"Maybe she can work in a scholarship or some kind of beginner's program." Hawkeye said.

 **"You want to come to my school?" He asked.  
**

 **"More than anything." Ruby confirmed.  
**

 **Ozpin exchanged glances with Glynda, who showed her disapproval with a "Hmph" before he turned back to Ruby. "Well, okay." He said.  
**

 **Ruby smiled, wide-eyed and open-mouthed.**

"Or, she could skip an entire 2 years. That's my kind of method." Tony said.

* * *

 **The scene changed again as Yang tackled her sister in a hug aboard the large airship to Beacon, crushing the air out of her.**

 **"Oh, I can't believe my baby sister is going to Beacon with me! This is the best day ever!" Yang said happily, squeezing her sister tighter.  
**

 **"Please stop."** ** **Ruby pleaded, gasping for air.****

 **"But I'm so proud of you!"** ** **Yang said, releasing her sister.****

 **"Really Sis, it was nothing." Ruby said calmly.  
**

"I definitely wouldn't call it nothing." Steve said.

"Yeah. The three of us couldn't take out a whole gang like that as fast as she did." Widow said.

"I mean, we could definitely take them out. Just not as fast." Hawkeye said.

"Are you really trying to compete with a little girl?" Tony asked.

 **"What do you mean? It was incredible! Everyone at Beacon is going to think you're the bee's knees." Yang said excitedly.  
**

 **"I don't want to be the "bee's knees", okay? I don't want to be any kind of knees! I just want to be a normal girl with normal knees." Ruby said, somewhat nervously.  
**

 **"What's with you? Aren't you excited?" Yang asked.  
**

 **"Of course I'm excited... I just..." Ruby stammered, sighing. "I got moved ahead two years. I don't want people to think I'm special or anything." She explained.  
**

 **"But you are special."** ** **Yang said, going over and giving her sister a one-armed hug.****

"As someone who has skipped multiple grades, I can tell you even skipping one, let alone two years makes you very special." Tony said.

"Wow. Tony Stark praising someone. I must be going crazy." Clint said.

"It's way too late for that. You went crazy a long time ago." Natasha teased.

"I just think it's nice to see that they get along so well. you can definitely tell both of those sisters care about each other." Steve said.

Thor looked down a bit at this, remembering his own relationship with Loki before his brother became evil, wishing they could return to those days as loving brothers. But he then noticed everyone was looking at him, having paused the show. "Oh! Um... Indeed. Siblings should get along like they do. Yes... Let us continue." Thor said, quickly grabbing the remote and resuming the show.

 **The girls' attention was drawn to the 2-D animated newscast on Vale News Network playing nearby, talking about the robbery and showing Roman's mug shot. "The robbery was led by nefarious criminal Roman Torchwick, who continues to evade authorities. If you have any information on his whereabouts, please contact the Vale Police Department. Back to you, Lisa." The male news reporter, Cyril, announced.  
**

"Roman Torchwick, huh? Yeah, definitely sounds like a bad guy name." Clint said.

"And from the looks of it, he has quite the criminal history." Steve said with a small glare.

"Easy, Cap. I'm sure he'll get what's coming to him." Natasha said.

 **The mugshot changed to Lisa Lavender, with a photo of animal-eared demonstrators holding signs saying "WE ARE NOT ANIMALS!" followed by an image of the logo of a growling red wolf's head with three scratch marks.**

 **"Thank you, Cyril. In other news, this Saturday's Faunus Civil Rights protest turned dark when members of the White Fang disrupted the ceremony. The once peaceful organization has now disrupted..." Lisa reported, before the news feed was cut off as a hologram of Glynda replaced it.**

"What are Faunus?" Hulk asked.

"I'm guessing the people with the animal ears. Looks like they aren't being treated fairly, since they're protesting." Steve said.

"Then I'm guessing those WERE horns on Adam's head." Tony added.

"Told ya. A couple guys in the back have 'em, too." Hulk said, pointing to the boy in the picture with blue hair and small horns on his head, as well as a man with light brown hair and ram horns to the boy's right.

"You know, I think those ears kind of look cute on them." Natasha said.

"A shame they seem to be treated poorly." Thor said.

 **"Hello, and welcome to Beacon!" Glynda greeted.  
**

 **"Who's that?" Yang asked.  
**

 **"My name is Glynda Goodwitch." Glynda introduced herself.  
**

 **"Oh." Yang said as her question was answered.  
**

"There's been worse ways to introduce people." Hawkeye said.

 **"You are among a privileged few who have received the honor of being selected to attend this prestigious academy! Our world is experiencing an incredible time of peace, and as future Huntsmen and Huntresses, it is your duty to uphold it." Glynda explained. "You have demonstrated the courage needed for such a task, and now it is our turn to provide you with the knowledge and the training to protect our world." She finished, then disappeared.**

"Yeah, totally no pressure there." Tony said.

"They know what they signed up or enrolled for. They're gonna be under a lot more pressure in the future, so they need to get used to it." Steve said.

"Looks like the soldier's coming out of you, Cap." Hawkeye said.

"He's not wrong. They'll be fighting monsters that want to destroy humanity for a living. Not everyone can handle that." Natasha added.

 **Without any holograms in the window, the students could finally see out of them, Ruby moving forward among several other cries of surprise. "Oh, wow! Look, you can see Signal from up here!" She said as she and other students looked through the glass walls at the town below. "I guess home isn't too far after all!" She said.  
**

 **"Beacon's our home, now." Yang corrected.**

"Home's wherever the heart is." Cap said with a smile.

 **The two heard a passenger groaning and hunched over nearby, running to the back of the ship. "Well... I guess the view isn't for everyone." She said, rolling her eyes**

 **"It was a nice moment while it lasted." Ruby said.  
**

"Yeah, a guy about to lose his lunch definitely kills the mood." Widow said, rolling her eyes.

"I've been on many cruises and witnessed this first-hand." Tony said.

"You were probably the guy puking and ruining everyone else's time." Hawkeye said.

"I definitely was not. I know how to handle myself. Especially on a nice cruise." Tony said.

 **The ship was seen approaching Beacon across a large body of water. "I wonder who we're gonna meet! I just hope they're better than Vomit Boy." Ruby said inside the ship. "Oh, Yang, gross! You have puke on your shoe!" She suddenly shouted.  
**

 **"Gross, gross, gross, gross, gross, gross, gross, gross!" Yang said, grossed out.  
**

 **"Get-Get away! Get away from me! Get away from me! Get away from me! Get away from me!" Ruby said in a panic.  
**

 **The scene faded to black.**

Clint laughed at this. "And that's one of the quickest ways to ruin someone's day." He said.

"Something tells me that kid's gonna have some rough times in his future." Tony said.

"Can't blame him for having motion sickness. I used to have it, too, when I was a kid and, well, you know, scrawnier and weaker than I am now." Steve said.

"I'm wondering what he's doing here. The kid DEFINITELY doesn't seem like the warrior type like RWBY or the other girls." Natasha said.

"I bet he'll be in big trouble if he runs into Yang again." Hulk chuckled, before looking at Thor, who again seemed a bit depressed. "Hey, you okay?" He asked. The two often messed with each other, but Hulk and Thor were still good friends.

Thor snapped back to reality at this. "What? Oh, yes. I was just... Thinking back to when Loki and I had a brotherly relationship similar to Yang and Ruby's sisterly one. Loki may not care, anymore, but I still do." Thor said.

"I'm sure he'll come around eventually, Thor. Don't give up hope. Loki's far from the worst villain we've ever faced. There might be a chance for him in the future." Steve said.

"Thank you, Captain." Thor said with a nod.

"Well, anyway, let's see where this goes from here." Natasha said, playing the next episode.


	6. Episode 2: The Shining Beacon

"Alright. Next is The Shining Beacon." Cap said.

"Oh. Like the name of the school. Clever." Hawkeye said.

"Looks like its a two part episode. Might as well watch them as one." Tony said.

"Sounds good to me." Natasha said.

But before they could start the episode, a voice called out from behind them. "Hey, everybody!" The Avengers all turned around to see Spider-Man as he walked into the room.

"Spider-Man. What are you doing here?" Cap asked.

"Well, I heard it was Widow's birthday, so I figured I'd stop in and say hi. I may not be an Avenger anymore, but we're still friends, right?" Peter asked.

"Of course we're friends, web-head. So, what'd you get me?" Widow asked, walking up to the younger spider-themed hero.

"Here ya go!" Spider-Man said, handing her a decent-sized square present.

"Oh, what's this?" Widow asked, unwrapping it, then opening the box under the paper, finding another show: My Hero Academia, the entire series. "My Hero Academia? Sounds interesting." Widow said.

"Yeah. Apparently, it's about all these kids with superpowers going to high school, learning to be heroes, kinda like Fury and the Triskelion, except more fun." Spider-Man explained.

"Hey! I dropped by and gave you guys some lessons! You telling me that wasn't fun?" Hawkeye asked.

"I think I fell asleep after your first one-liner." Peter said.

"Alright. Now we got two shows to watch!" Hulk said.

"Two?" Peter asked.

"Indeed, Man of Spiders! I have recovered a similar show, known as RWBY. A collection of young girls attend a combat school to become heroes and destroy evil creatures known as Grimm!" Thor explained.

"Destroy? Doesn't sound very heroic." Spider-Man said.

"We were worried at first, too. But don't worry. They aren't normal creatures even though they look it. They're something... else." Cap said, not sure of what else to call them.

"They turn into smoke and rose petals when you kill them, so yeah, not normal animals." Tony explained.

"Oh. I guess that justifies it. Mind if I join you?" He asked.

"The more the merrier. And don't worry, we'll watch your show some other time." Widow said, playing the show after everyone got back in their seat.

* * *

 **Several ships were carrying students and docking at the entrance of the school. As soon as one landed, Jaune Arc emerged and went over to the nearest trash can, hunching over it as he lost his lunch.**

"Yeah, something's telling me that kid's gonna have a hard time here." Tony said.

"So, he's got motion sickness. Doesn't mean he's hopeless." Cap said.

"Yeah. Even I've lost my lunch once or twice facing some villains." Spider-Man said.

 **Ruby and Yang, alongside several other students, walked out of the ship and headed down the paved path to the front of the school. "Wow..."** **The sisters said as they took in the entirety of Beacon Academy.**

(Huh. She's kind of cute.) Spider-Man thought as he looked at the silver-eyed girl.

 **"The view from Vale's got nothing on this!" Yang said as Ruby looked around.  
**

 **Ruby saw the various weapons of the other students, getting so excited she became a 2-D, starry-eyed, floating chibi. "Ohmygosh, sis! That kid's got a collapsible staff! And she's got a fire sword!" She said excitedly as she tried getting closer, flying off-screen, but Yang pulled her sister by the hood back into realistic proportions. "Ow! Ooww!"Ruby whined.  
**

"So, they're heroes like us, going around fighting bad guys... with swords and staves and guns?" Spider-Man asked.

"Again, don't worry. They're dangerous weapons for sure, but they know how to use them non-lethally." Cap reassured him.

 **"Easy there, little sister. They're just weapons!" Yang said to calm her sister.  
**

 **"'Just weapons'? They're an extension of ourselves! They're a part of us! Oh, they're so cool!" Ruby said excitedly.  
**

"I can relate to that. The Iron Man suits aren't just armor, they're a part of me." Tony said.

"I feel the same way about my shield. I can't count the number of times I owe my life to this baby." Cap said with a smile as he looked at his shield.

 **"Well, why can't you swoon over your own weapon? Aren't you happy with it?" Yang asked.  
**

 **Ruby transformed her weapon into its scythe form. "Of course I'm happy with Crescent Rose! I just really like seeing new ones. It's like meeting new people, but better..." She explained, hugging her weapon tightly.  
**

"Whoa! Is that a scythe?" Peter asked.

"And a sniper rifle." Hawkeye said.

"Crescent Rose. A fine name for such a fierce, yet elegant weapon!" Thor said approvingly.

"Okay, making a note for project: Crescent Rose." Tony said, writing it down in a notepad he carried.

"Maybe I should give my shield a name?" Cap thought.

 **Yang playfully pulled her sister's hood down over her face. "Ruby, come on, why don't you go try and make some friends of your own?" She said.  
**

 **"But... why would I need friends if I have you?"** ** **Ruby asked, taking off her hood.****

 **"Well..." Yang started, but in a flash, a group of other students surrounded Yang. "Actually, my friends are here. Gotta go catch up. 'Kay, see ya, bye!" She said quickly as** **they all dashed down the road.**

"Well, that was nice of her, ditching her sister in a place she has no idea where she is." Widow said disapprovingly.

"The girl must learn independence, Widow. No one becomes mighty if they're always coddled." Thor said.

 **Ruby was left spinning and dizzy-eyed from Yang's sudden leaving. "Wait, where are you going?! Are we supposed to go to our dorms? Where are our dorms? Do we have dorms?" She asked repeatedly as she stopped for a moment, still reeling. "I don't know what I'm doing..." She groaned as she fell backwards into a luggage cart, sending cases flying.**

 **Someone was standing over her. "What are you doing?!" Weiss demanded.  
**

"Hey, it's Weiss." Hulk said.

"She doesn't seem too pleased." Spider-Man said.

"Would you be if someone sent your luggage flying?" Tony asked.

 **"Uh, sorry!"** ** **Ruby apologized, getting up on her hands.****

 **"Sorry?! Do you have any idea of the damage you could have caused?" Weiss snapped.  
**

 **"Uuhhh..."** ** **Ruby said unsurely, holding a case.****

 **"Give me that!" Weiss demanded as she snatched the luggage from Ruby and opened it to reveal its twinkling-sounding contents. "This is Dust - mined and purified from the Schnee quarry!" She explained.  
**

 **"Uuuhhhh..." Ruby said cluelessly.  
**

"Wait, dust? Then what's the harm? It's not like it's gonna explode." Spider-Man said.

"Uh... It could, Spidey." Hulk said.

"Wait, what?!" Peter asked.

"In this world, Dust is some weird elemental energy source. And it explodes." Tony summarized.

 **"What are you, brain-dead?" Weiss snapped, holding out a vial of red Dust and shutting the case. "Dust! Fire, water, lightning, energy!" She explained, shaking the vial, sending dust into the air.**

"If you know what it is, then stop shaking it like that!" Tony said worriedly. From what he knew about Dust, this was the equivalent of messing around with liquid nitrogen or nitroglycerin.

 **"I... I know..." Ruby said weakly as she started coughing from the Dust pouring into her face.**

 **"Are you even listening to me? Is any of this sinking in? What do you have to say for yourself?!" Weiss demanded.  
**

"Hey, go easy on the kid! It wasn't her fault her sister ditched her and left her spinning like a top. You could've watched your luggage!" Spider-Man said.

"She certainly isn't leaving as good of an impression as she did from her trailer." Cap agreed.

"Wait, trailers?" Spider-Man asked.

"I'll catch you up later." Hulk said.

 **Ruby, who had been receiving more and more Dust to her face, finally sneezed, which erupted into a full-blown explosion of flame, snowflakes, and electricity right onto Weiss. The bottle she had been holding flew over the courtyard and to a familiar set of feet, the person attached to those feet picking it up and noticing the Schnee Dust Company logo on the side as she read from a book and looked over at the scene, revealing herself as Blake.**

"I knew that was coming." Tony said.

"'Twas not a matter of if, but when." Thor agreed.

"Anyone would sneeze with all that stuff in their face." Steve said.

"And there's Blake. I'm surprised she got into this school after robbing that train." Widow said.

"Maybe they let her off for saving the passengers." Hawkeye guessed.

"What have I missed!?" Peter said.

 **"Unbelievable! This is exactly the kind of thing I was talking about!"** **Weiss shouted, now covered in soot, though it quickly disappeared.**

 **"I'm really, really sorry!"** **Ruby said, apologetic and embarrassed.**

"Are you REALLY going to act like that wasn't your fault?!" Cap said, now quite annoyed with Weiss.

"Yeah, she's not as enjoyable as when we first saw her." Widow agreed.

"Hey, we saw her singing a concert, we could guess she's a diva." Clint said.

 **"Ugh, you complete dolt! What are you even doing here? Aren't you a little young to be attending Beacon?" Weiss questioned.  
**

 **"Well, I-I..." Ruby said, struggling to get any words in against the furious girl in front of her.  
**

 **"This isn't your ordinary combat school. It's not just sparring and practice, you know! We're here to fight monsters, so... watch where you're going!" Weiss snapped.  
**

"She's fought more monsters than you have." Hulk said.

"At least 50 of those werewolf things and those 4 goons, plus Roman as opposed to one big armor monster. Yeah, she's got you beat." Tony said.

 **"Hey, I said I was sorry, princess!"** **Ruby snapped back, finally fed up.**

 **"It's heiress, actually."** ** **Blake explained off-screen as she entered the conversation.** Ruby and Weiss looked over as Blake approached with the bottle. "Weiss Schnee, heiress to the Schnee Dust Company, one of the largest producers of energy propellant in the world." She added.  
**

"Huh. So it's kind of like your company, Tony." Spider-Man said.

"Yeah, so no wonder she's so bratty. All that fame and money, no doubt she's been totally spoiled." Tony said.

"You know from experience." Hawkeye taunted.

 **"Finally! Some recognition!"** **Weiss said, smiling smugly.**

 **"The same company infamous for its controversial labor forces and questionable business partners." Blake countered.  
**

"On second thought, Spidey, nothing like me." Tony said. Sure, he once made many horrible kinds of weapons, but he always prided himself on only working with legitimate, trustworthy business partners.

 **"Wha- How dare- The nerve of... Ugh!"** ** **Weiss stammered, getting angry again as Ruby giggled.** Weiss got up in Blake's face and took the bottle from her, walking off in a huff as her helpers gathered the luggage and followed. **

**"I promise I'll make this up to you!"** ** **Ruby called to the storming Weiss, still sorry.** The heiress didn't respond and continued storming off, to which Ruby sighed. "I guess I'm not the only one having a rough first day... So, what's..." She started, turning to see Blake walking off as well, then collapsed to the ground on her back. "Welcome to Beacon..." She said sadly, remaining this way until a shadow came over her. **

"Do not give up hope, young are bound to get better." Thor said.

 **"Hey... I'm Jaune."** ** **The blonde boy introduced himself, holding out his hand.****

 **"Ruby."** ** **Ruby introduced herself, taking his hand,** standing up and realizing something. "Aren't you the guy that threw up on the ship?" She asked.  
**

"Ha! It is!" Hulk laughed.

* * *

 **Beacon inside the walls was filled with scenic trees, arching architecture, and a winding road alongside a river, down which Ruby and Jaune were walking.**

 **"All I'm saying is that motion sickness is a much more common problem than people let on!" Jaune explained.  
**

"You don't have to tell me, I'm with you there.." Spider-Man agreed.

"I used to be pretty motion sick before I became a super soldier." Cap said.

 **Ruby laughed at this. "Look, I'm sorry! Vomit Boy was the first thing that came to mind." She apologized  
**

 **"Oh, yeah? What if I called you Crater Face?" Jaune countered.  
**

 **"Hey, that explosion was an accident!" She countered.  
**

"Picking on her is a bad way to be friends, pal." Hulk said.

 **"Well, the name's Jaune Arc! Short, sweet, rolls off the tongue - ladies love it!" He introduced himself again.  
**

"No they don't." Widow said.

 **"Do they?"** **Ruby asked skeptically.**

 **"They will! Well, I-I hope they will. My mom always says that... Never mind." Jaune said, tripping over his words.  
**

"Buddy, quit while you're ahead." Clint said.

 **Ruby giggled before a short, awkward silence fell. "So... I got this thing!" She said as she pulled out Crescent Rose and stabbed it into the ground.**

 **"Whoa! Is that a scythe?" Jaune asked in slight fear and awe.  
**

 **"It's also a customizable, high-impact sniper rifle!" Ruby explained.  
**

 **"A-wha...?"Jaune (and Captain America) asked, confused.  
**

 **Ruby cocked it, smiling. "It's also a gun." She (and Iron Man) explained.  
**

 **"Oh. That's cool!" Jaune said in amazement.  
**

"Yeah, that is pretty cool!" Spider-Man said.

"One of many weapons sure to amaze you, my friend!"

 **"So what've you got?" She asked.  
**

 **"Oh! I, uh..." He started, unsheathing a blade. "I got this sword!" He explained.**

 **"Ooooohh!" Ruby said excitedly.  
**

 **"Yeah, and I've got a shield, too!" Jaune added as he gos his scabbard, raising his arm and expanding the metal into his defense.**

"Not bad. Not the best, but nothing wrong with it." Tony said.

 **"So, what do they do?"** **Ruby asked touching the shield.**

 **This somehow caused the shield to go crazy, as Jaune fumbled with the shield as it retracted off his arm, expanded, and retracted again before putting it back in place and finally shrinking it down for good, placing it on his belt. "The shield gets smaller, so when I get tired of carrying it, I can just... put it away..." He explained.  
**

"But it's still the same mass and volume, just composite, so it should still weigh the same as when it's deployed." Tony said.

 **"But... wouldn't it weigh the same?" Ruby asked  
**

 **"Yeah, it does..."** ** **Jaune confirmed dejectedly.****

"Called it." Tony said.

 **Ruby giggled. "Well, I'm kind of a dork when it comes to weapons, sooo... I guess I did go a little overboard when designing it." She explained.  
**

 **"Wait - you made that?!" Jaune asked, amazed.  
**

 **"Of course! All students at Signal forge their own weapons!" Ruby explained. "Didn't you make yours?" She asked.  
**

Tony and Peter were surprised simply to hear Ruby made her own weapon, but to hear all the students of her old school made them?! Unreal! "So these kids are making all these crazy, advanced weapons? That's amazing. Too bad they're from a different dimension, I could see about hiring them at Stark Industries." Tony said.

"Wow. So these guys have to be geniuses!" Spider-Man said.

 **"It's a hand-me-down. My great-great-grandfather used it to fight in the war." He explained.  
**

 **"Sounds more like a family heirloom to me!" Ruby laughed. "Well, I like it! Not many people have an appreciation for the classics these days." She said.**

"Exactly. You don't always need this fancy new technology. Sometimes all you need are the classics." Cap said approvingly.

 **"Yeah, the classics..."** ** **Jaune agreed quietly, sheathing his sword.****

 **"So why'd you help me out back there? In the courtyard?"** **Ruby asked, moving on again.**

 **"Eh, why not? My mom always says, 'Strangers are just friends you haven't met yet.'"** **Jaune said simply, walking alongside her.**

 **"Hmm." Ruby considered, before looking around. "Hey, where are we going?" She asked.  
**

 **"Oh, I don't know! I was following you." Jaune said, as the scene fades to black. "Y-You think there might be a directory? Maybe a food court? Some kind of recognizable landmark?" He asked as Ruby began to giggle. "Is, uh... Is that a 'no'?" He asked.**

 **"That's a 'no'."** ** **Ruby confirmed, still laughing.****

"Yeah, for a big academy like this, you'd think they'd have a directory or something." Clint said.

"They're just begging for students to get lost." Widow agreed.

"Yeah, S.H.I.E.L.D made sure everyone got a tour of the triskelion and we still all got maps.

 **We now see an aerial view of Ruby and Jaune entering Beacon Academy's giant auditorium, filled to the brim with people. Ruby looked over when she heard Yang's voice. "Ruby! Over here! I saved you a spot!"** ** **Yang called, waving.****

"Doesn't make up for ditching her, but that was still nice of her." Cap said.

 **"Oh!"** ** **Ruby acknowledged her sister, before turning to Jaune.** "Hey, I-I gotta go! I'll see you after the ceremony!" She said as she left. **

**"Hey, wait!" Jaune called after her, then sighed. "Ah, great. Where am I supposed to find another nice, quirky girl to talk to?!" He groaned as he moved on to reveal a redheaded girl in golden armor standing behind him, hand on her hips as she watched him walk away.**

"Man, talk about convenient. Or ironic. I always get those mixed up." Spider-Man said.

"Hey, Natasha, she looks like she could be YOUR little sister." Hawkeye teased.

Natasha scoffed and rolled her eyes at this. "I don't have a sister." She said, looking at the girl. "But... I guess we do look A BIT alike." She said.

 **"How's your first day going, little sister?"** ** **Yang asked once Ruby joined her, arms crossed.****

 **"You mean since you ditched me and I exploded?" Ruby asked angrily.  
**

 **"Yikes! Meltdown already?" Yang asked worriedly.  
**

"You wish." All the Avengers said at once, Spider-Man included.

 **"No, I literally exploded a hole in front of the school! And there was some fire, and I think some ice...?" Ruby explained, a bit confused at the end.  
**

 **"Are you being sarcastic?"** ** **Yang asked, smiling broadly.****

 **Ruby scoffed at this "I wish! I tripped over some crabby girl's luggage, and then she yelled at me, and then I sneezed, and then I exploded, and then she yelled at me again, and I felt really, really bad, and I just wanted her to stop yelling at me!"** ** **She explained as the camera panned around to reveal Weiss right next to her.****

"Uh-oh." Hulk said.

"Ah, classic 'talk about a person behind their back and they're behind YOUR back' scenario. Happens all the time." Spider-Man said.

 **"You!" Weiss roared.  
**

 **"Oh, God, it's happening again!"** ** **Ruby cried quickly jumping into her sister's arms.****

 **"You're lucky we weren't blown off the side of the cliff!" Weiss snapped.  
**

 **"Oh my God, you really exploded."** **Yang said, deadpanned.**

 **"It was an accident." Ruby explained to her sister as she got down, turning to Weiss. "It was an accident!" She told the heiress, before Weiss held up a pamphlet titled "DUST for Dummies and Other Inadequate Individuals" to Ruby. "What's this?" Ruby asked.  
**

"Man, this chick and her whole company must go out of their way to be mean." Tony said.

 **"The Schnee Dust Company is not responsible for any injuries or damages sustained while operating a Schnee Dust Company product. Although not mandatory, the Schnee Family highly encourages their customers to read and familiarize themselves with this easy to follow guide to Dust applications and practices in the field."** ** **Weiss listed off policies to a clueless and horrified Ruby, going faster and higher pitched with each word as if she was being fast-forwarded.****

"Did... that sound fast-forwarded to anyone else?" Hawkeye asked, to which everyone else nodded.

"I'm guessing they didn't think anyone would want to hear her ramble." Widow said.

 **"Uuhhh...?" Ruby said, confused.  
**

 **"You really wanna start making things up to me?" Weiss questioned.  
**

 **"Absolutely?" Ruby said unsurely.  
**

 **"Read this and don't ever speak to me again."** **Weiss said angrily, handing the pamphlet to Ruby.**

"She made one mistake, no need to be so hard on her. That attitude won't get her very far." Cap said.

 **"Look, uh, it sounds like you two just got off on the wrong foot. Why don't you start over and try to be friends, okay?" Yang suggested.**

 **"Yeah! Great idea, sis!"** ** **Ruby agreed, putting the pamphlet away and** holding out her hand as she cleared her throat. "Hello, Weiss! I'm Ruby! Wanna hang out? We can go shopping for school supplies!" Ruby offered.  
**

"School supplies? Really?" Hawkeye said.

"I don't know. That's what I'd have recommended." Peter said.

 **"Yeah! And we can paint our nails and try on clothes and talk about cute boys, like tall, blond, and scraggly over there!"** ** **Weiss suggested, seemingly enthusiastic, gesturing to Jaune over her shoulder at the end.****

 **"Hm?" Jaune asked, perking up as he was mentioned.  
**

 **"Wow, really?!" Ruby asked hopefully.  
**

 **There was dead silence under Weiss' glare. "No." She denied.  
**

"Now she is merely being spiteful for the sake of it." Thor said.

 **The girls' attention was drawn to the stage, where Professor Ozpin was readying the microphone, with Glynda beside him.**

 **"I'll... keep this brief. You have traveled here today in search of knowledge, to hone your craft and acquire new skills, and when you have finished, you plan to dedicate your life to the protection of the people. But I look amongst you, and all I see is wasted energy, in need of purpose, direction." He announced as the students whispered among themselves. "You assume knowledge will free you of this, but your time at this school will prove that knowledge can only carry you so far. It is up to you to take the first step." He finished.**

"Not the most uplifting speech I've ever heard." Cap said.

"Yeah, even Fury's speeches are more hopeful than that." Spider-Man said.

 **Glynda stepped up as Ozpin left. "You will gather in the ballroom tonight; tomorrow, your initiation begins. Be ready. You are dismissed." She explained.**

 **"He seemed kind of... off." Yang said.  
**

 **"It's almost like he wasn't even there." Ruby agreed.  
**

 **"I'm a natural blond, you know!"** ** **Jaune said as he approached Weiss from the side.****

 **Weiss put her hand to her face in exasperation.**

There were a few chuckles around the room at this.

* * *

 **The first night at Beacon, students were splayed out in sleeping bags. Ruby, in her pajamas and with a sleeping mask around her head, was writing in a journal when Yang crashed next to her, similarly dressed.**

 **"It's like a big slumber party!" Yang said excitedly.  
**

 **"I don't think Dad would approve of all the boys, though."** ** **Ruby said unenthusiastically, not looking up.****

"Yea, I don't think I'd approve of my daughters surrounded by boys like that." Cap said.

"I don't know. We all slept in one room at S.H.I.E.L.D academy and nothing ever happened." Spider-Man said.

 **"I know I do!" Yang said, purring as she watched several muscular, shirtless guys... and Jaune, dressed in feetie pajamas** (All Avengers: Really?), **waving to her, which made her groan before she returned her attention to Ruby. "What's that?" She asked.  
**

 **"A letter to the gang back at Signal. I promised to tell them all about Beacon and how things are going." Ruby explained.  
**

 **"Aw, that's so cuuuute!" Yang said teasingly, before being knocked back as a pillow was launched at her face.**

"Ooh! Got her!" Hulk laughed.

 **"Shut up! I didn't get to take my friends with me to school! It's weird not knowing anyone here!" Ruby said with a pout.  
**

 **"What about Jaune? He's... nice! There you go! Plus one friend! That's a hundred percent increase!" Yang said.  
**

 **"Pretty sure Weiss counts as a negative friend. Back to zero..."** ** **Ruby countered, turning on her back.****

 **"There's no such things as negative friends! You just made one friend and one enemy!" Yang said, before being hit with another pillow, this time looking like a dog, to the face.**

 **"Look, it's only been one day. Trust me; you've got friends all around you! You just haven't met them yet!" She said.**

"Good advice." Tony said approvingly.

"She's a pretty good sister when she isn't abandoning Ruby." Widow agreed.

Thor sighed at the sisterly bonding, again remembering a time when he and Loki were once like the two, Thor having to console his brother as he tried to make friends in their form of school. "Loki... Can we ever truly be like we used to be, like Ruby and Yang, again?" He wondered quietly to himself.

 **The two sisters noticed a candle being lit nearby, and Blake was seen leaning against a wall, reading her book.**

 **"That girl..." Ruby said.  
**

 **"You know her?" Yang asked.  
**

 **"Not really. She saw what happened this morning, but left before I could say anything." Ruby explained.  
**

 **"Well, now's your chance!" Yang said, grabbing Ruby's arm and lifted her up.**

"She's reading a book, you could pick a better time." Cap said.

"Yeah, that never goes over well." Peter agreed.

 **"Wait! What are you doing?!" Ruby asked.  
**

 **Blake looked over her book to see Ruby unsuccessfully struggling against Yang's grip as she lead her sister over to Blake's spot before letting go.**

 **"Hel-looooo!" Yang said in sing-song. "I believe you two may know each other?" She asked.  
**

 **"Aren't you... that girl that exploded?" Blake asked.  
**

"Not how I'd want to be remembered." Hawkeye said.

 **"Uh, yeah! My name's Ruby! But you can just call me Crater..." Ruby said with an embarrassed smile. "Actually, you can just call me Ruby." She said.  
**

 **"Okay." Blake said, looking back to her book.  
**

 **"What are you doing?"** ** **Yang whispered to Ruby.****

 **"I don't know - help me!"** ** **Ruby whispered back,** the two sisters smiling at Blake.  
**

"She needs to learn to talk to people better." Hulk said.

"Well spoken, friend Hulk." Thor agreed.

 **"So... What's your name?" Yang asked  
**

 **Blake sighed as she was distracted yet again. "Blake." She answered.  
**

 **"Well, Blake, I'm Yang, Ruby's older sister! I like your bow!" Yang said.  
**

 **"Thanks!"** ** **Blake said, irritated.****

 **"It goes great with your... pajamas!" Yang said.  
**

 **"Right..." Blake said simply.  
**

 **"Nice night, don't you think?"** ** **Yang asked as Ruby laughed uncomfortably.****

"It's called trying too hard, Yang." Hawkeye said.

"Yeah. Even I know when to call it quits." Tony said.

 **"Yes - it's lovely! Almost as lovely as this book!" She said, looking up as Ruby and Yang stood there, not getting the hint. "That I will continue to read." She tried again while Ruby and Yang continue standing there. "As soon as you leave!" She said bluntly, no longer being polite and dropping hints.  
**

 **"Yeah, this girl's a lost cause."** ** **Yang said to Ruby.****

"No, she just wants to be left alone." Widow said.

 **"What's it about?"** ** **Ruby asked Blake.****

 **"Huh?"** ** **Blake asked, surprised.****

 **"Your book. Does it have a name?" Ruby asked.  
**

 **"Well... i-it's about a man with two souls, each fighting for control over his body." Blake explained.  
**

"Huh..." Hulk said with some interest. The conflict between him and Banner was once like this, but the two have since put their differences aside to share their body and work together.

Tony noticed this and chuckled. "So, we going book shopping some time, big guy?" He asked.

"It's from another dimension, no way it's real." Hulk said.

 **"Oh, yeah... That's real lovely!"** **Yang said sarcastically.**

 **"I love books. Yang used to read to me every night before bed. Stories of heroes and monsters... They're one of the reasons I want to be a Huntress!" Ruby explained.  
**

 **"And why is that? Hoping you'll live happily ever after?"** **Blake asked, laughing a little.**

 **"Well, I'm hoping we all will. As a girl, I wanted to be just like those heroes in the books... Someone who fought for what was right, and protected people who couldn't protect themselves!" Ruby said heroically.  
**

All of the Avengers smiled and nodded approvingly at this, the very same mantra they try to follow every day. "I like this girl. I think we'd get along if she was in THIS dimension." Peter said with a smile.

"Someone's got a crush!" Hulk laughed.

"What?! Hey, no I don't! And there's no way I could ever meet her! I'm just saying, she's a lot like me, so so far, she's my favorite." Peter said defensively.

"She's definitely got a good head on her shoulders and her heart's in the right place." Cap said.

 **"That's... very ambitious for a child." Blake said, before her smile turned into a frown. "Unfortunately, the real world isn't the same as a fairy tale." She said sadly.  
**

 **"Well, that's why we're here! To make it better." Ruby said.  
**

 **"Oh, I am so proud of my baby sister!" Yang said happily, hugging Ruby and lifting her into the air.**

 **Ruby kicked out in an attempt to break free of her sister's hug. "Cut it out!" She snapped, finally punching Yang in the face, the forced sisterly bonding evolving into a dust cloud of fighting limbs and flying stars.**

Thor laughed at this. "Ah, classic sibling rivalry." He said, remembering a bit more fondly the times him and Loki fought as kids, NOT trying to kill each other like they do now.

 **Blake laughed slightly at their antics. "Well, Ruby, Yang, it's a pleasure to ha-" She started, before...  
**

 **"What in the world is going on over here?! Don't you realize some of us are trying to sleep?"** ** **Weiss demanded, storming onto the scene in her own pajamas as Ruby trapped Yang's leg.****

"Then why are YOU yelling?" Tony asked.

"She has a point, though: it is late and they have a big day tomorrow." Widow said.

 **The two groups then identified the other party. "Oh, not you again!"** **Weiss and Yang said simultaneously at the sight of each other.**

 **"Shh! Guys, she's right! People are trying to sleep!" Ruby tried to calm them down.  
**

 **"Oh, now you're on my side!?" Weiss questioned.  
**

 **"I was always on your side!" Ruby said defensively.  
**

 **"Yeah, what's your problem with my sister? She's only trying to be nice!" Yang snapped.  
**

 **"She's a hazard to my health!" Weiss countered.  
**

"Again, says the one shaking around the dangerous chemicals, throwing them in the face of a girl YOUNGER THAN YOU, making her sneeze." Tony countered.

"Not to mention, all the yelling and arguing will just wake more people up." Cap said.

 **Blake, who rolled her eyes at the fight, simply closed her book, reached over to grab her candle, and blew it out, enveloping the scene in black.**

* * *

"Well, that was a pretty good episode. On to the next one, then?" Cap asked.

"Wait, it looks like there's still some left to this one." Widow said, noticing something else beginning to start up.

"Maybe it's some kind of bonus feature or mini episode." Tony guessed.

* * *

 **RWBY: WORLD OF REMNANT**

 **DUST**

"Oh, nice, We get to hear about this Dust stuff a bit more." Tony said, interested.

"It would be nice to know more about it. With all the crazy things we face, we might eventually run into something like it here." Cap agreed.

 **"Dust. By definition, it is a naturally occurring energy propellant that can be triggered by the Aura of Humans and Faunus. But in reality, it is much, much more." The narrator from episode 1 explained with beautiful illustrations of a swirling aura, then a strangely shaped crystal.  
**

"What's Aura? And what's a Faunus?" Peter asked, getting more confused.

"We don't know what this aura is, but Faunus are basically people with animal parts." Widow explained.

"Like horns. Or cute bear ears." Hulk added.

 **"Found in four basic forms, Dust can be combined both artificially and naturally to form new, stronger types, each with unique properties."** ** **She explained as 4 different shaped and colored symbols, likely indicating Fire, Ice, Ground and Wind, spun around each other and combined together, creating a number of different explosions or bursts or elemental power.****

"Whoa! so it's like magic!" Spider-Man said.

"With a bit of science mixed in, of course." Tony said.

"In Asgard, magic and science are one in the same." Thor said.

 **"Since its discovery, man has concocted a multitude of ways in which to harness these mysterious crystals. From airships to androids, Dust has made its way into practically every facet of technology." She went on as a hand VERY SLOWLY picked up the Ground dust.  
**

"Man, those are some rocks, then. I wouldn't mind making some arrows out of that stuff." Hawkeye said.

"Still wouldn't be as good as my smashing!" Hulk said.

 **"Some prefer to use Dust in its raw form: elegant, yet destructive. Those who choose to wield Dust in this state must posses a certain level of discipline, to ensure that their resulting powers do not break free from their control." She continued as a man held some form of Dust powder in his hand up to the sky, causing a lightning storm that grew until a tornado engulfed him.  
**

Spider-Man's eyes shot wide open with a monkey sound effect coming from nowhere as he heard this. "Yeah, no thanks." He said.

"No power is ever worth it if you can't control it." Steve said.

 **"Dust ammunition serves as a more practical application in today's modern society. With the technological advancements in weapon design, warriors need merely choose the right cartridge for the job and pull the trigger." She said as a number of soldiers with rifles appeared crouched down, two disappearing before the remaining one fired his rifle, then stood up.  
**

"Yeah, that sounds more our style." Hawkeye said.

"It certainly seems to be the most manageable." Natasha agreed.

 **"While this has become the standard method of use, it is not uncommon to find individuals still practicing more archaic forms of Dust manipulation, such as weaving it into clothing or even fusing it directly with their own bodies." She elaborated as the soldier launched himself into the air, leaving large cracks in the ground around where he stood, then showing a man with dust in his clothes as she said and even somehow holding the ice dust up to and absorbing it into his stomach, before shattering.  
**

"Nope! NO THANK YOU!" Spider-Man said, slightly panicked.

"The weaving into clothes seems quite interesting. Black Widow already has electricity LINING her suit, imagine if the WHOLE suit could be electric." Thor said.

"That might come in handy." Widow agreed.

"Yeah. Maybe you could even recharge my armor if it runs low on missions." Tony added.

 **"Despite working, fighting, and even turning a profit with it, humanity has still yet to understand how Dust came to be, and more importantly, how their involvement with Dust will ultimately change the world of Remnant." She finished as a vendor had an array of Dust available for selection, a soldier stood ready to fight and Weiss' familiar symbol held in the middle of the screen and over the very planet.  
**

"That sounds ominous." Spider-Man said.

"Still, if it's their main and really only defense against the Grimm, they still have to rely on it." Cap said.

"They seem to have a decent handle on it, though, as long as they're not shaking it in people's faces." Tony added.

"And who knows, maybe it'll change the world for the better, like they can use dust to completely wipe out the Grimm." Hawkeye said.

"Wishful thinking." Natasha said.

"So, we wanna keep going?" Hulk asked.

"Totally! I missed all the action so far, but I'm already hooked. I wanna see what these guys can do!" Peter said.

"Agreed! Let us continue!" Thor agreed.

"I'm definitely up for more." Tony said.

"Looks like we're all in agreement." Cap said.

"Same. And don't worry, webhead, we'll find time to watch your show, too." Natasha said, playing the next episode.

* * *

 **A/N: And that's another chapter down! I hope you all enjoyed this. Someone requested Spider-Man to be in this, so here he is and another person suggested having the Avengers watch My Hero Academia. I'm definitely willing to do that. I plan on starting that up sometime after Volume 1, but in the mean time, since these are in the same universe, happening simultaneously, what would you guys suggest towards having the Avengers balance watching the two shows? Because surely they can't just watch an entire season of each and switch back and forth, RWBY wouldn't get nearly enough love and MHA would be over WAY too fast. Let me know your thoughts on that and I'll see you next time!**


	7. Episode 3: The First Step

"Alright. Time for the next episode." Widow said.

"The first step. Sounds like it's gonna be important." Spider-Man said.

"We'll have to find out." Steve said, starting the episode.

* * *

 **A character's eyes were wearily opening and closing before waking up fully and seeing Nora Valkyrie fill their view.**

 **"Wake up, lazy butt!" Nora told the person, dashing to the side.**

 **Lie Ren got up with a groan as Nora hounded him.**

 **"It's morning! It's morning! It's morning! It's morning!"** ** **Nora sang.****

"Oh, good. Another girl who bounces off the walls." Tony said.

"Well, it's nice to see someone in a good mood." Spider-Man said.

 **Ren sighed again and the scene changed to him brushing his teeth in the restroom while Nora continued to talk.**

 **"I can't believe we've been at Beacon for a full twenty-four hours! Not that I thought we'd get kicked out or anything, I mean, you're the perfect student and I'm... well, I'm me! But it's just crazy, you know?" Nora continued excitedly.  
**

 **The scene changed to the ballroom, where the two were readying themselves. Nora was brushing her hair and still chattering while Ren was tightening the strings on his sleeping bag.**

 **"We've been friends for soooooooo long! What are the odds we'd still be together? Well, not 'together-together...' Not that I'm not saying that you're not handsome; you are handsome, but that'd just be weird, right?" She went on.  
**

"The young maiden certainly seems to enjoy talking." Thor said.

"Meanwhile, her friend their has yet to speak a single word. You wouldn't think loudmouths and quiet people get along." Widow said.

"What are you talking about, Natasha? You and Tony get along great!" Clint said, smirking at an annoyed Tony.

"I think you meant you and I?" Natasha teased the archer back.

 **The scene changed again as the two were in the middle of eating their breakfast, Nora having a pancake hanging from her mouth as she was still talking.**

 **"Right! What was I thinking? But still, I hope we end up on the same team together!"** ** **Nora said, although it was muffled through her food.** She then slurped up the rest of her pancake. "Oohhhh! We should come up with some sort of plan, to make sure we end up on the same team together! What if we bribe the headmaster? No, that won't work. He has the school." She plotted.  
**

"Bribing the guy who runs your school. Not smart." Cap said.

"I don't know, I bribed Fury with a burrito once or twice to get out of a jam." Spider-Man said.

"Are you just ignoring how she somehow SLURPED a pancake?" Tony asked.

"I do that all the time." Hulk said.

 **The scene changed again as the two were readying themselves in the locker room, Ren loading StormFlower and Nora still talking.**

 **"I know! We'll have some sort of signal! Like a distress signal!" She suggested, before gasping. "A secret signal so we can find each other in the forest! Can you imitate a sloth?" She asked.  
**

"Hey, DOES anyone know what a sloth sounds like?" Spider-Man asked.

"What manner of creature is this sloth?" Thor asked. In response to both questions, Tony played an adorable video on his phone of baby sloths squeaking in rhythm to the Game of Thrones theme.

"Ohhh..." The two said together, nodding.

 **"Nora?"** ** **Ren finally replied.****

 **"Yes, Ren?" She asked, popping up beside him.  
**

 **"I don't think sloths make a lot of noise."** **Ren told her, sheathing his weapons in his sleeves.**

"Pretty smooth. I think I like this kid." Natasha said.

"Yeah, hiding something like those up his sleeves must take a good bit of skill." Cap said.

"Automatic pistols with blades on them, so he can fight up close or at a distance. Very nice." Tony noted.

 **Nora thought about this for a moment. "That's why it's perfect! No one will suspect we're working together!" She said.  
**

 **Ren smiled and shut his locker. "Come on Nora, let's go." He said, walking off.**

 **"Not 'together-together...'" She giggled as she followed him.**

"So, you all know she likes him, right?" Hulk asked.

"Yep." Everyone confirmed immediately.

 **Ren headed out while a skipping Nora followed, passing Ruby and Yang as they were busy readying themselves. "Wonder what those two are so worked up about?" Ruby wondered.  
**

 **"Oh, who knows? So, you seem awfully chipper this morning!" Yang said.  
**

 **"Yep! No more awkward small talk or 'getting-to-know-you' stuff. Today, I get to let my sweetheart do the talking." Ruby explained, stroking Crescent Rose as she sighed happily.**

"Okay, she's just a little too attached to that thing." Tony said.

"Tony, we've caught you sleeping in one of your suits before." Cap said, immediately silencing the inventor.

 **"Well, remember, Ruby, you're not the only one going through initiation. If you wanna grow up, you're gonna have to meet new people and learn to work together." Yang told her sister.**

 **Ruby sighed in frustration at this. "You sound like Dad!" She grumbled as she shoved her weapon into the locker. "Okay, first of all: What does meeting new people have to do with fighting? And secondly: I don't need people to help me grow up! I drink milk!" She said confidently.**

"Atta girl! Milk builds strong bones!" Hulk said approvingly. Hawkeye shivered, remembering the time he'd drank the last of the milk and nearly gotten smashed for it.

"Still, she's gonna have to meet people. She can be a great warrior, but that means nothing if she's socially awkward and can't talk to anyone." Widow said.

"Yeah, what Widow said. I can't count the number of times I tried doing something on my own, then needed others for help." Spider-Man said.

 **"But what about when we form teams?" Yang asked.  
**

 **Ruby suddenly became nervous at this. "Um, I don't know, I... I'll just be on your team or something..." She said unsurely.**

 **"Maybe you should try being on someone else's team?"** ** **Yang suggested, bringing her hair around her shoulder and stroking it.****

 **"My dear sister Yang, are you implying that you do not wish to be on the same team as me?" Ruby demanded.  
**

"Well, she clearly ditched you for her friends earlier, so..." Hawkeye started.

"I think, in her own way, Yang's trying to make Ruby more independent. She relies on her sister a bit too much right now. We saw how she needed Yang's help to talk to Blake, but then made more progress on her own. She won't be able to be strong or independent, or grow as a person relying on Yang all the time. She needs to find her own way, on her own." Cap said.

"Wow, that's deep, Cap. Very impressive." Tony said, giving the first Avenger small applause.

 **"What? No! Of course I do! I just thought... I don't know, maybe it would help you... break out of your shell!" Yang explained.  
**

 **"What the-?! I don't need to 'break out of my shell'! That's absolutely-" Ruby started.  
**

 **"Ridiculous!" Jaune said, suddenly walking in between the sisters, holding a map and looking lost. "There's no way I put my gear in locker 636 yesterday! I would've remembered having to count that high! Why does this have to happen today?" He groaned.**

"Oh, boy. You just can't catch a break, can you, Jaune?" Peter said.

 **Jaune passed Weiss and Pyrrha as they readied themselves at their lockers.**

"Hey, there's your sister again, Nat." Hawkeye said, Widow glaring at him.

 **"So, Pyrrha, have you given any thought to whose team you'd like to be on? I'm sure everyone must be eager to unite with such a strong, well-known individual such as yourself!" Weiss asked.  
**

 **"Hmm... I'm not quite sure. I was planning on letting the chips fall where they may." Pyrrha said simply.  
**

 **"Well... I was thinking maybe we could be on a team together." Weiss offered.  
**

"She's being strangely chummy.." Steve said.

"Well, if this Pyrrha girl is as good as she's making her out to be, she'd be someone you'd want on your team." Tony said.

 **"Well, that sounds grand!" Pyrrha said.  
**

 **"Great!" Weiss said happily.  
**

 **The background suddenly disappeared into a thundercloud as Weiss adopted a scheming pose and manic smile in her head.**

 **(This will be perfect! The smartest girl in class combined with the strongest girl in class! Together we will be unstoppable! I can see it now! We'll be popular! We'll be celebrities! We'll get perfect grades! Nothing can come between us now!) The heiress thought.  
**

The Avengers actually jumped a bit at Weiss' 180, looking at the heiress with disturbed looks on their faces. "This girl has problems." Hulk said.

"Truly, her scheming is on par with Loki!" Thor said.

 **Jaune came between them and interrupted Weiss' evil train of thought. "You know what else is great? Me. Jaune Arc. Nice to meet you." He said "smoothly".  
**

 **"You again?"** ** **Weiss said in an irritated tone.****

"I can point out every single flaw in his approach right now." Hawkeye said.

"Really?" Spider-Man asked.

"Yep. First, acting superior. No one likes a guy that's full of himself-" Clint started.

"So that's why no one likes you?" Tony asked.

"Ehehe." Clint laughed sarcastically, before continuing. "Second, he DEFINITELY picked the wrong girl. He needs WAY more experience before trying to hook up with a girl like Weiss." He explained.

 **"Nice to meet you, Jaune!"** ** **Pyrrha greeted hurriedly letting herself be seen.****

 **"Yeah, yeah." He said, pushing Pyrrha aside and talking to Weiss, posing slightly. "So, Weiss, couldn't help but overhear your fondness of me the other day." He said.  
**

"Okay, now you're being a bit of a jerk." Cap said, disapprovingly.

 **"Oh, you've got to be kidding me!" Weiss said, annoyed.  
**

 **"Don't worry! No need to be embarrassed! So, been hearing rumors about teams! I was thinking you and me would make a good one! What do you say?" He offered.  
**

 **"Actually, I think the teams are comprised of four students each, so-"** ** **Pyrrha explained, getting Jaune's attention.****

 **"You don't say." Jaune asked as he advanced on his new target. "Well, hot stuff, play your cards right and maybe you could join up with the winning team." He said, still failing to be smooth.  
**

"You do NOT have the skill to hit on two girls at once, kid. Quit while you're ahead." Tony warned the boy.

 **"Jaune, is it? Do you have any idea who you're talking to?"** ** **Weiss asked, separating the two.****

 **"Not in the slightest, snow angel." Jaune said.  
**

 **"This is Pyrrha." Weiss introduced the girl.  
**

 **"Hello again!" Pyrrha greeted.  
**

 **"Pyrrha graduated top of her class at Sanctum!" Weiss explained.  
**

"Good work." Tony said, impressed.

 **"Never heard of it." He said.  
**

 **Weiss scoffed. "She's won the Mistral Region Tournaments four years in a row! A new record!" She explained.  
**

"Impressive." Steve said.

"Not bad at all. She might be my sister after all." Natasha said.

 **"The what?" He asked again.  
**

 **"She's on the front of every Pumpkin Pete's Marshmallow Flakes box!"** ** **Weiss snapped, waving her arms rapidly in anger.****

 **Jaune gasped suddenly. "That's you?!" He asked in disbelief as the design of the cereal box in question was seen with Pyrrha's smiling face on it. "But they only do that for star athletes and cartoon characters!" He said excitedly.  
**

"That is the one he understood?" Thor questioned.

"It's the one I'd get." Hulk said.

 **"Yeah, it was pretty cool. Sadly, the cereal isn't very good for you." Pyrrha said.  
**

 **Weiss appeared again as the box design crumbled behind them. "So, after hearing all of this, do you really think you're in a position to ask her to be on your team?" She asked.  
**

 **"I guess not... Sorry..." He said sadly, hanging his head.**

"Does this girl HAVE to cut down everyone? The only person she hasn't constantly insulted is Pyrrha, who she's been brown-nosing instead." Tony said.

"And that's only because she wants her for her personal gain." Cap said, equally disapproving.

 **"Actually, Jaune, I think you'd make a great leader!" Pyrrha said supportively.  
**

 **"D'oh, stop it!"** ** **Jaune said, immediately brightening back up.****

 **"Seriously, please stop it. This kind of behavior should not be encouraged!" Weiss said.  
**

"Only if you're referring to your own behavior." Spider-Man said.

"Good one." Hulk said.

 **"Sounds like Pyrrha's on board for Team Jaune. Spots are filling up quick! Now, I'm not supposed to do this, but maybe I could pull some strings, find a place for you. What do you say?" Jaune offered, leaning in close to the heiress, who backed away, holding her arms out.  
**

 **"All right, that's a bit too close! Pyrrha, a little help, please?!" Weiss asked, looking back to the Spartan girl.  
**

 **Jaune looked back just in time to see Miló strike him, sending the would-be leader flying off the screen.**

 **"I'm sorry!" Pyrrha called after him.  
**

"Whoa!" All the Avengers said at once.

"I think there were a few other, better ways you could've handled that." Natasha said.

"A few? More like any other way." Cap said.

 **"Would all first-year students please report to Beacon Cliff for initiation? Again, all first-year students report to Beacon Cliff immediately."** ** **Glynda's voice announced on the intercom system.****

 **Weiss passed Jaune as he hung by his hood from the wall of a locker on her way out. Pyrrha followed her, grabbing her spear and dropping Jaune to the ground. "It was nice meeting you!" She said happily.  
**

 **"Likewise..."** ** **Jaune groaned, slumping against the locker.****

"Well, at least she's polite after kicking his butt." Hawkeye said. **  
**

 **"Having some trouble there, lady-killer?"** ** **Yang asked as she and Ruby approached.****

 **"I don't understand. My dad said all women look for is confidence! Where did I go wrong?" He asked as he accepted Ruby's offered hand and used her to lift himself back up.**

"There's confidence, then there's being full of yourself. And hitting on two women at once. There's a method to that and you did it wrong." Tony said, Natasha and Cap rolling their eyes while Hawkeye nodded in agreement.

 **"'Snow Angel' probably wasn't the best start." Yang said.**

"Yeah, that too." Hawkeye agreed.

 **"Come on, Jaune, let's go." Ruby said as she lead Jaune out of the locker room by supporting him and his damaged self-esteem.**

* * *

 **The scene changed to the Beacon Cliff, overlooking a forest, where several students — some old, some new, and some unseen — were standing on silver tiles in front of a mug-holding Professor Ozpin and Glynda with her tablet.**

 **"For years, you have trained to become warriors, and today, your abilities will be evaluated in the Emerald Forest." Ozpin explained.  
**

"An excellent tradition! We Asgardians have a similar trials to test the mettle of our warriors!" Thor said.

"Heh. I bet I could ace 'em, no problem." Hulk boasted.

 **"Now, I'm sure many of you have heard rumors about the assignment of 'teams.' Well, allow us to put an end to your confusion. Each of you will be given teammates... today." Glynda confirmed.  
**

 **"What? Ohhh..." Ruby groaned.  
**

"It had to happen sometime, Ruby." Cap said.

"It'll be good for you in the long run." Widow agreed.

 **"These teammates will be with you for the rest of your time here at Beacon. So it is in your best interest to be paired with someone with whom you can work well." Ozpin further explained.  
**

 **Ruby groaned again.  
**

"Makes sense. You don't want to be on a team with people you can't stand." Tony agreed.

 **"That being said, the first person you make eye contact with after landing will be your partner for the next four years." Ozpin said.  
**

 **Ruby's shocked expression mirrored her world, cracking like glass and falling apart. "Whaaaat?!" She asked in fear and disbelief.  
**

"WHAT?!" The Avengers also shouted.

"That's a terrible idea!" Cap said.

"Yeah. Half these kids are just meeting each other and one of them can't stand anyone but herself. They could wind up hating the first person they see, or be completely incompatible in combat." Tony said.

"Yeah, it'd be like throwing me and Tony up against S.H.I.E.L.D's newest death robots. We'd get slaughtered." Hawkeye agreed.

"Indeed. It is rare the two of you fight together. You normally save the fighting for amongst yourselves." Thor said with a smirk at the end.

 **"See? I told you-!"** ** **Nora said happily to Ren.****

 **"After you've partnered up, make your way to the northern end of the forest. You will meet opposition along the way. Do not hesitate to destroy everything in your path... or you will die." Ozpin warned.  
**

 **Jaune laughed nervously and then gulped loudly.**

"This guy's sounding more like Fury every minute." Spider-Man said.

 **"You will be monitored and graded through the duration of your initiation, but our instructors will not intervene. You will find an abandoned temple at the end of the path containing several relics. Each pair must choose one and return to the top of the cliff. We will regard that item, as well as your standing, and grade you appropriately. Are there any questions?" Ozpin asked.  
**

 **"Yeah, um, sir?"** ** **Jaune asked, raising his hand.****

 **"Good! Now, take your positions." Ozpin instructed.  
**

 **Everyone struck a pose on their tile. Nora crouched low, Ren wielded his weapons, Yang raised her fists, Ruby readied her body, and Jaune was still raising his hand.**

 **"Uh, sir? I've got, um... a question." He said, missing the tile under Weiss rising up into a springboard, rocketing into the air and over the forest, as the platforms activated down the line. "So, this landing... strategy thing... Uh, wha-what is it? You're, like, dropping us off or something?" He asked.  
**

 **"No. You will be falling." Ozpin explained.  
**

"What?!" The Avengers said again, except Hulk and Thor.

"You're throwing them off a cliff into a forest full of monster?!" Cap said in disbelief.

"Oh, come on! Just because they have superpowers doesn't mean they can survive that!" Natasha said.

"You know, I can safely say not even Fury has done that to us." Spider-Man said.

 **"Oh, uh, I see... So, like, did you hand out parachutes for us?"** ** **Jaune asked, somehow missing more students being thrown.****

 **"No. You will be using your own 'landing strategy'." Ozpin corrected.  
**

 **"Uh-huh... Yeah."** ** **Jaune said, nervously, still not seeing an excited Nora and Ren getting launched.****

 **At her turn, Yang winked at her younger sister, put on a pair of aviators, and flew off with a "Woo-hoooooooo!" a second before Ruby joined her.**

"Nice shades." Hulk said.

"I'm curious to see how they land. I believe they can make it. They seemed confident." Thor said confidently. "Jaune, however..." He said unsurely.

 **"So, what exactly is a landing strategYYY!..." Jaune asked this part just when he finally had to get hurled with the cloud of students now making their way down into the forest below under the eyes of the teachers.**

"Well, whatever it is, you better come up with it quick." Clint said.

 **Ozpin, for his part, simply took a sip of his drink before the scene went black.**

* * *

"Jeez! At least Fury tells us when he's gonna have stuff shoot us!" Spider-Man said.

"Yeah. Ozpin's methods are... questionable, to say the least." Cap agreed.

"Well, clearly, the students managed to survive. If he's been doing this for years, that would have to mean the students survived, or else Ozpin would be fired and that school would be torn down." Natasha said.

"Well, if they can survive explosions and lasers, a fall off a cliff shouldn't be too difficult." Clint offered.

"Our archer speaks truth. Children as they are, they are also warriors with great potential! Surely they are capable of surviving a fall like this." Thor said.

"I guess that's true. We've already seen Blake jump off a large cliff onto a train before." Tony agreed.

"Let's just watch the next episode to see who splats." Hulk said as the next episode played.


	8. The First Step (Part 2)

"Okay, onto part 2 of the first step." Cap said.

"Then, wouldn't that be the second step?" Peter quipped.

Natasha facepalmed at this. "Let's just watch." She said, annoyed.

* * *

 **We see an overhead view of Emerald Forest, where a black bird was flying slowly and magnificently, right up to the moment it gave a final shriek and Ruby crashed through it in a burst of feathers as she plummeted downward.**

 **"Birdie, no!" Ruby cried in horror.  
**

"Nooo! Not the birdie!" Spider-Man screamed, practically on the verge of tears.

"A life cut short far too soon." Hawkeye agreed sadly.

"Really?" Natasha said, raising a brow.

 **Ruby fired off a few rounds from Crescent Rose to slow her down, then turned the weapon into its scythe form to catch the branch of a tree in her blade and fell downward at a slower pace.**

 **Weiss, armed with Myrtenaster, summoned a white snowflake circle under her and leapt off of it to the forest below.**

"Both of those were very innovative landing strategies. Very good." Cap analyzed.

"The kids can think under pressure. That's good." Tony said.

 **Ren descended and spun in the air, eventually using StormFlower's blades to spiral around the trunk of a large tree and hit the ground, brushing off his clothes before looking up to see...**

"Not bad, kid." Natasha complimented, despite knowing Ren couldn't hear her.

"Yeah, pretty stylish." Hawkeye said.

 **"Woo-hoo! Yeah! Alley-oop!" Yang cheered and hollered as she flew threw the air.  
**

"That's my kinda landing strategy!" Tony said with a smirk.

"Of course it is..." Natasha sighed.

"Did anyone else see Nora fly by in the background when Ren was landing?" Spider-Man asked.

 **Yang, soaring right over the treetops, was using her gauntlets and their fiery force to push her through the air further and further north, spinning and laughing with each blast.**

 **"Whoa, whoa, whoa!" She said dizzily, yet still happily as she crashed through the leaves of a tree and leapt off two trunks to tumble to the ground. "Nailed it!" She announced as she ran off.**

"Ha ha! Very good, young Xiao Long!" Thor laughed.

"Oh yeah! Best landing strategy ever!" Hulk said.

 **Pyrrha, her weapon in sword form and armed with a shield, crashed through several trees and rolled on a branch, immediately shifting her blade into a rifle and looking through the scope at Jaune as he continued to scream and fall helplessly. Pyrrha coolly transformed her weapon again to its spear form, took a moment to evaluate her throw, and rocketed the javelin deep into the forest until a "THUNK!" was heard.**

 **"Thank you!"** ** **Jaune called out in the distance.****

 **"I'm sorry!"** **Pyrrha apologized, waving.**

"Whoa! That was an amazing shot! With everything she'd have to take into account, I don't even think I could've made a throw like that!" Cap said, amazed.

"If I wasn't seeing it, I wouldn't believe it!" Peter said.

"Ruby might have a rival sharpshooter on her hands." Hawkeye said.

"You saved his life, no need to apologize for that." Tony said.

"And he's not screaming, so she probably didn't stab his body, just his clothes." Natasha added.

 **In the middle of the forest, Ruby landed in a crouch, then darted off with a single mantra in her mind.**

"Hey, that's almost like my Iron Man landing!" Tony said, amused.

"You know that's really hard on your knees, right? It's really impractical if you think about it." Spider-Man said.

 **(Gotta find Yang! Gotta find Yang, gotta find Yang, gotta find...) Ruby thought frantically, before she began shouting.**

 **"Yang! Yaaaang!" She called out to her sister. (Oh, this is bad, this is really bad... What if I can't find her? What if someone finds her first?) She wondered** ** **internally, now seeing herself partnered with various people.****

"She's gonna have to learn to work with new people some day." Cap said. **  
**

"Well, if what Pyrrha said is right, the full teams will have 4 people on it, so even if she pairs with Yang, she'll wind up with 2 people she'll have to learn to work with." Natasha said.

 **(Well, there's always Jaune. He's nice. He's funny! ...I don't think he's very good in a fight, though.) She considered, imagining Jaune in a fight and losing to some Beowulves. (Ooh! What about Blake?! So mysterious, so calm... Plus she likes books! Then again, I'm not sure I'd be able to hold a conversation with her... Ugh!) She groaned as she thought of her talking to Blake, only for the bow-wearing girl to keep inching away to escape the conversation. She shook her head of the daydreams and began to seriously think again. (Okay... Who else do I know in this school? There's Yang, Jaune, Blake, aaaand...) She pondered.**

"She's not wrong? I cannot see young Jaune putting up much a fight. And from what we've seen, Blake doesn't seem to enjoy conversation." Thor said.

"To be fair she was reading a book, so she wanted to focus on that. And I'm sure Jaune can prove himself in time." Cap said.

"She has one more option, buuuut I don't think she'd want it." Hawkeye said.

"You don't mean-" Hulk started.

 **Time seemed to slow down as Ruby skidded to a halt in front of Weiss as she was turning to face her. She stopped just in time for their eyes to meet and a pregnant pause followed.**

"Called it!" Hawkeye said.

"Poor Ruby." Hulk said.

 **This ended when Weiss turned on her heel and walked the other way.**

 **"Wait! Where are you going?!"** ** **Ruby asked, following her slightly.** "We're supposed to be teammates..." ********She said dejectedly as she** stopped and kicked the ground.****

"She's already breaking one of the first rules. Not a good start for someone who wants to be the best student." Cap said.

"This child is more difficult than I was in my rebellious phase!" Thor said, annoyed.

 **Weiss was seen struggling through the forest, giving an occasional grunt or "Ow!" as she pushed plants out of her way. She brushed herself off and sighed in relief when she heard a voice above her.**

 **"Come on, come on! Stupid...!"** ** **Jaune grumbled, apparently struggling to free himself.** Weiss saw Jaune hanging a few feet in the air by the spear embedded in his hood and the tree behind him.**

"Just nicked his hood, so she didn't hit him, just like I said." Nat said with a confident smile.

"That just makes the shot even more impressive." Peter said.

"For her to nail such a small target from such a distance, not to mention while he was flailing and tumbling in mid-air." Cap analyzed.

 **As he gave up trying to pull it out, he looked down and sees Weiss, giving an embarrassed wave. Weiss simply headed back in the direction she came from and Jaune groaned in dejection.**

 **"By no means does this make us friends."** ** **She said as she passed Ruby and pulled on her hood.****

 **"You came back!"** ** **Ruby shouted, overjoyed as she was dragged away into the bushes.****

"Because she liked her second option less than the first. That's not something to be so cheery about, Ruby." Natasha said.

"Hey, for an introvert like her, this is already serious progress." Tony said.

"She doesn't have to drag her..." Hulk growled.

 **"Wait! Come back! Who's going to get me down from here?!"** ** **Jaune demanded, seeing the scene and waving his arms.****

 **"Jaune?"** ** **Pyrrha asked from below as** he looked down at his savior. "Do you... have any spots left on your team?" She asked teasingly. **

**"Very funny..."** ** **He said, crossing his arms, though** he eventually looked down at her and gave a smile, which she returned. **

"Well, he needed a partner. And from the looks of it, he got one of the best." Thor said.

"Yeah. She can compensate for his lack of skills. Maybe she could even train him to be better later." Natasha said.

"The two of them could make a pretty cute couple, if he stops going after 'Ice Queen.'" Hawkeye said with a smirk at the end.

 **The scene changed to Weiss trudging through the forest, with Ruby back a ways behind her.**

 **"What's the hurry?" Ruby asked.  
**

 **"I will not let my mission be delayed because you're too slow! I swear, if I get a bad grade because of your—" Weiss started, before a smiling Ruby suddenly appears next to her, pawing at her like a kitten. "What the...?" She asked in disbelief.  
**

 **"I'm not slow, see? You don't have to worry about me!" Ruby assured her.  
**

 **"When did...?"** ** **Weiss asked, looking back, slightly amazed.****

"If there's one thing Ruby isn't, it's slow." Cap said.

"Whoa! How's she that fast?!" Spider-Man asked.

"Oh, right, you missed the trailers. She can at least move at the speed of sound, based on some rough estimates." Tony explained.

 **"Weiss, just because I don't exactly know how to deal with people doesn't mean I don't know how to deal with monsters!" Ruby explained as she got an arm around a skeptical Weiss' shoulders. "You're about to see a whole different side of me today, Weiss, and after it's all over, you're going to be like, 'Wow! That Ruby girl is really, really cool...'" She started, before leaning in. "'and I wanna be her friend!'" She finished,** ** **somewhat mousily.****

"Why WOULDN'T you want to be her friend?" Spider-Man asked.

"She is an interesting young lass. And her positivity certainly spreads." Thor agreed.

"She's a good kid." Hulk agreed.

 **And with that, Ruby disappeared in a shower of rose petals, which Weiss waved away from her face just as she heard crackling and rustling in the bushes around her.**

 **"You may be fast, but you still excel at wasting time!"** ** **Weiss called out to Ruby, hearing only** silence, save more noises. "Ruby?" She asked as the forest darkened, forcing Weiss to lean in to try and find her new partner as a pair of red eyes are seen glaring behind her. "Ruby...?" She asked, again.  
**

 **The camera revolved around Weiss, as multiple pairs of red eyes stared at her from the bushes and a deep growl was heard. She turned around until she spotted a large, jagged Beowolf emerging from a bush and approaching her.**

"Oh, that's not good." Tony said.

"Serves her right." Hulk scoffed.

"She may be a brat, but she doesn't deserve to be torn apart by those things. Besides, she's here to be a huntress, so she can protect people. So her heart's in the right place, even if her attitude isn't." Cap said.

 **"Ruby!" She called out.**

 **The Beowolf roared as the scene went black.**

* * *

"Well, she's in a bit of trouble." Spider-Man said.

"Let's hurry and start the next episode. Find out how she gets OUT of trouble." Hawkeye said.

"We know she can take out one big target, let's see how she does against a bunch of small ones." Natasha said, playing the next episode.

* * *

 **A/N: Another chapter done! Sorry this was so short, but I forgot this was a two part episode. Then again, most of this season was two-part episodes, so my bad. Still, I hope you enjoyed it and there's more to come soon enough.**


	9. Episode 4: The Emerald Forest

"Well, it looks like the Ice Queen has gotten herself in some trouble. Let's see how she gets out of it." Spider-Man says.

"You read my mind." Widow said, playing the episode.

* * *

 **We see an overhead view of the Emerald Forest as the camera panned down into the misty underbrush, where Yang was walking and looking around.**

"Oh. Or we can see what Yang's up to." Peter said.

"Yeah! Let's see her punch something!" Hulk said, slamming his fist into his hand.

"Agreed!" Thor said, raising him hammer for a moment.

 **"Helloooooooo?" Yang called out, not seeing a shadow quickly pass by. "Is anyone out there? Helloooo?" She continued to shout, stopping and raising her arms. "I'm getting bored here!" She said, now somewhat annoyed, before she heard a rustling in the bushes behind her and turned. "Is someone there?" She asked. The rustling continued as Yang came over and peaked inside. "Ruby, is that you?" She asked.  
**

"Pretty sure it's not." Cap said.

"With how much she was calling for her before, DEFINITELY not." Tony agreed.

 **A low, inhuman growl was heard, and Yang's head rose up as she stared at the creature.**

 **"Nope!" She said, popping the "p".  
**

 **Yang quickly rolled to the side as an Ursa charged out of the green.**

"Whoa! So there's bears, too. Not just wolves." Hawkeye said.

"Well, we saw in the first episode the image of the wolves, giant snakes and boars with huge tusks, so it makes sense there are more types of Grimm besides those." Widow said.

 **She got up and activated her Ember Celica, staring at the monster before another Ursa ran out behind her. She leapt over it, and its companion ran at her again, only to get knocked back by a fiery punch. The other Ursa and Yang charged at each other, and Yang managed to get under it and delivered several punches and a kick to send the creature back.**

 **"You guys wouldn't happen to have seen a girl in a red hood, would you?" She asked. The Ursai merely growled at her. "You could just say 'no'." She said.  
**

"Yeah, that's about what I would do or say, too." Spider-Man said.

 **One of the Ursai stood on its legs and swiped at her twice, Yang barely dodging the attacks.**

 **"Geeeez, you two couldn't hit the broad side of a ba..." She said with a laugh, but before she could complete her insult, a single strand of her golden hair fell in front of her face and landed on the forest floor.**

"Ohh... They're in trouble." Hulk said, a wide grin spreading on his face.

"I almost feel bad for them. Almost." Thor said with a smirk. Spider-Man just looked at the two confused. He was about to ask what they meant, but decided to just watch.

 **"You..." She growled as she closed her violet eyes, then opened them to reveal red, making the Ursai look at each other confusedly. "You monster!" She screamed.  
**

 **An inferno surrounded Yang for a moment, before she rocketed forward, unleashing a devastating combo of flaming hits and blows on the offending Ursa, making it fly through several burning trees. The other monster ran over, but stopped short at Yang's gaze while a tree fell to the ground behind her.**

"Whoa!" Spider-Man said fearfully, jumping onto Hulk's back in surprise.

 **"What! You want some, too?!" She demanded.  
**

 **The Ursa reared up and prepared to strike... right when a whirling noise was heard and the monster made a befuddled noise, falling down a second later to reveal Blake with her Gambol Shroud in the beast's back.**

 **Yang panted in exhaustion while Blake recalled the weapon back to her hand, sheathing it on her back and smiling to the side (or the audience, if she broke the fourth wall).  
**

"Hey, is she looking at us?" Spider-Man asked.

"Nah. It's probably just a coincidence." Hawkeye dismissed.

 **"I could've taken him."** ** **Yang, now purple-eyed again, told her new partner over the smoking remains of the monster.****

"Looks like they've gotten their partners now." Cap said.

"Yeah. At least they're getting along better than Weiss and Ruby." Tony said.

* * *

 **The scene suddenly changed to Weiss Schnee's predicament from the end of the last episode, deflecting the swipe from a Beowolf with her Myrtenaster and getting pushed back into the middle of the beastly circle. She held out her sword as she went through her dueling motions and practices.**

"That's not a place you want to find yourself." Spider-Man said.

"She should be fine. Ruby took on at least twice that many without a scratch. If she's half as good as she says she is, she'll survive." Cap said.

 **(Remember your training, Weiss. Head up, shoulders back, right foot forward — not that forward!) She thought.**

"This is something you should have down before the fight even begins, not when you're completely surrounded." Widow said.

"At this point, you should already have your strategy, exit plan and back-up strategy and exit plan." Hawkeye agreed.

 **(— slow your breathing, wait for the right time to strike, and...) Weiss instructed herself in her head, bringing her rapier up, the revolver spinning. (Now!) She mentally shouted as she dashed forward with her loaded weapon at the Beowolf in front of her, just when Ruby suddenly appeared between the two in a blur of rose petals and a swipe of her Crescent Rose scythe, landing a hit on the monster.**

 **"Gotcha!" Ruby said.  
**

"Watch out!" Spider-Man said, worried for Ruby's safety.

 **Weiss widened her eyes and screamed as she quickly had to stop, swinging the sword in a random direction and creating a line of fire that set a nearby tree ablaze, followed quickly by the rest of the forest around the clearing.**

 **Ruby, distracted by Weiss' mess-up, was barely defended when the same Beowolf scratched at her weapon, knocking the younger girl into the heiress.**

 **"Hey, watch it!" Ruby snapped.  
**

 **"Excuse me! You attacked out of turn! I could have killed you!" Weiss countered.  
**

 **"You'll have to try a lot harder than that..." Ruby grumbled.  
**

"To be fair, that one is on Ruby. She didn't take the time to see where Weiss was attacking and went for the same target." Cap analyzed.

"Pulling something like that on this team would get you on the wrong end of an arrow, shield, repulsor blast or hammer." Tony agreed.

 **The duo wield their arms as the pack of Beowolves whined and growled around them. Ruby reloaded her scythe just as a flaming tree fell near them.**

 **"We have to go!"** ** **Weiss said, grabbing Ruby's arm as s** he lead Ruby out of the blaze as it engulfed the grass and set the Grimm to running back the way they came or suffering in the fire. **

"Such a powerful inferno! This dust is not to be underestimated! I'd need a mighty storm to stop such a blaze." Thor said.

"Heh. I could clap and put that out." Hulk boasted.

"Or, you might wind up spreading it further. Sorry, Hulk, but between the two of you, I'd put Thor on fire duty before you." Widow said.

 **Ruby and Weiss stopped a safe ways from the smoke and flames. Weiss leaned over and panted as Ruby looks behind her. "What was that?! That should've been easy!" Ruby complained.  
**

 **"Well perhaps if you had exercised even the slightest amount of caution with the placement of your strikes, I wouldn't have set the forest on fire!" Weiss snapped.  
**

 **Ruby scoffed at this. "What's that supposed to mean?" She demanded.  
**

 **"I'm just surprised someone who talks so much would communicate so little during an encounter!" Weiss jabbed.  
**

"I don't like agreeing with her, but at the same time, everything she just said is true." Tony said.

"Ruby just jumped in and attacked without talking to her partner or watching where she was going to strike and now the forest is on fire." Cap analyzed again.

 **"Well, I'm sorry you need my help to win a fight. I'm just fine on my own!" Ruby countered.  
**

 **"Well, congratulations on being the strongest child to sneak your way into Beacon. Bravo!" Weiss snapped.  
**

"That was just mean. She's trying her best." Peter said.

"Yeah, but Ms. High-and-mighty thinks the only people that matter are her and whoever can get her further." Hawkeye said.

 **Weiss began to walk off on her partner yet again. Ruby, with an agitated shriek, unfolded Crescent Rose, sliced a tree down to the stump, refolded it back, and followed her partner as the tree crashed behind her. Neither noticed the large dark feather floating onto the fallen trunk behind them.**

"That's a big feather." Hulk said, surprised.

"And whatever it came from must be MUCH bigger." Thor agreed.

* * *

 **Meanwhile across the Forest, Pyrrha, armed with Miló and Akoúo̱, and Jaune were making their way through the bushes. Jaune heard a noise far away and turned his head.**

 **"Did you hear that?" He asked.  
**

 **"Gunfire. It seems some of our comrades have encountered the enemy." Pyrrha confirmed.  
**

 **They kept moving forward, Jaune still staring in the sound's direction as Pyrrha raised a branch to pass by and accidentally released it right at Jaune's face, flooring him instantly.**

"Ouch!" Cap said, knowing the feeling from marching through the woods in boot camp.

"Gotta watch where you're going, Jaune-y boy." Peter said.

 **"Jaune! I'm sorry!"** ** **Pyrrha apologized, looking back behind her.****

 **"It's okay. Just a scratch!"** ** **Jaune laughed, lowering his hand from his cheek to reveal a gash from the wooden recoil** as he got back up when Pyrrha approached him. **

**"Why didn't you activate your Aura?" She asked.  
**

 **"Huh?" He questioned.  
**

"Aura?" The Avengers all asked together, confused.

 **"Your Aura." She repeated.  
**

 **"Gesundheit." He said.  
**

"That sounded nothing like a sneeze." Thor said.

 **"Jaune, do you... know what Aura is?"**

 **"Psch! Of course I do! Do YOU know what Aura is?"** ** **Jaune asked as he waved the question off, avoiding eye contact.****

"Really? That's what little kids say when they don't know something." Hulk said.

"Well, he does seem to be a bit behind the other kids." Tony said.

 **Pyrrha smiled at him and got ready to explain as the scene changed to Ren's trek through the forest's tall grass.**

 **"Aura is the manifestation of our soul. It bears our burdens and shields our hearts. Have you ever felt you were being watched without knowing that someone was there?" Pyrrha asked.  
**

 **"Uh... yeah." Jaune confirmed.  
**

"That's the result of training your senses and being aware of your surroundings." Widow said.

"Or Spidey sense." Spider-Man added.

 **Ren stopped and narrowed his eyes, looking around him while a huge black Grimm serpent rose up from the grass behind him and quickly surrounded him with its large, hissing body. Ren adopted a fighting stance as the snake coiled together in front of him and attacked with its long fangs.**

"There's the snake!" Hulk said.

"Not quite the Midgard serpent, but still quite impressive." Thor said.

 **"With practice, our Aura can be our shield. Everyone has it, even animals."** ** **Pyrrha explained, now back on screen, walking around Jaune.****

The Avengers were interested in this, but would need more info before giving any big reactions.

 **"What about monsters?" Jaune asked.  
**

 **"No." She said as we switch back to Ren as he leapt out of the way, the snake's mouth hitting the ground and instantly coming up again to hit a jumping Ren back with its snout. "The monsters we fight lack a soul. They are creatures of Grimm, the manifestation of anonymity." She explained again as Ren landed in a crouch when the serpent encircled him again. This time he unleashed his StormFlower before jumping up and firing at the creature. "They are the darkness, and we are the light." She finished.  
**

"Kid's got some good moves. Reminds me a lot of you, Natasha!" Clint said.

"Maybe. I'll admit, I'm liking this kid's style so far." She said.

 **"Right, that's why we fight them!"** ** **Jaune said off-screen as Ren kicked the snake's snout and slashed at its head.****

 **"It's not about why; it's about knowing." Pyrrha corrected as the snake flowed around Ren and tried to bite him again, but he flipped over it and drove his weapons into its head, pausing a moment without sensing the serpent's white head behind him.**

"It has 2 heads?!" Spider-Man asked in disbelief.

"That is something the Midgard serpent doesn't have." Thor said, now surprised.

 **"Understanding dark and light helps us manifest our Aura. Everyone has some of both." She explained once more.  
**

 **Ren turned and looked up at the white head as it launched itself at him, dodging it and landing just in time to see the head slither towards him. As it got closer, he ran at it and leapt onto the black head, sliding over its body and blasting the other head.**

"That looks like fun." Tony said.

"I wouldn't mind trying that. Maybe ride my shield while I slide on it." Cap said.

 **"By baring your soul outward as a force, you can deflect harm. All of our tools and equipment are conduits for Aura. You protect yourself and your soul when fighting." Pyrrha finished. Ren was unprepared for the white half to hit him with its head, knocking him off as he dropped his weapons and leaving him to merely raise his arms and distantly cry "No!" to the mouth of the black head.**

"Oh, no!" All the Avengers said at once, believing the boy was doomed.

 **"It's like a force field!"** ** **Jaune said as he opened his eyes with the revelation.****

 **"Yes, if you want to look at it that way." Pyrrha said unsurely.  
**

 **Ren was now holding the front fangs of the colossal snake in his hands, glowing a faint, pulsating pink as he gripped the teeth and yanked them from the monster's mouth, causing it to flail away. It attempted to bite him again, but Ren spun to the side and stabbed a fang into its eye, rotating his arm to deliver a final blow that drove the makeshift weapon into its skull, which rippled, expanded, and blew apart in a dark mess as its headless body fell over its fellow creature. Wasting no time, Ren ran right at the white head.**

"WHOA!" All the Avengers shouted at once.

"That was insane! So, this aura stuff protects them like some natural energy shield or armor." Spider-Man finally realized.

"That's incredible. So even without armor, this aura can keep them safe. That must be how Blake and Adam survived those explosions from the robot." Widow explained.

"Truly, the people of Remnant are amazing beings." Thor said.

"Yeah, they are! Did you see him hold back that snake?!" Hawkeye said.

"Tony, just how much would he be holding back there?" Cap asked.

"Well, let's see." Tony said, quickly doing some math in his head. "From the look of him, Ren's about 5'9", or 69 inches total. From the top of his head to that decal on his coat should be about 35 inches. Compare that to the fang, the fang is about 21 inches long. Comparing the fang to the rest of its head, the head is about 75 inches long. The head of your average large snake, like the black mamba, is about 3 inches. 75 divided by 3 is 25. A black mamba's strike force is 200 psi. So multiply that by 25, the giant snake is striking with about 5000 psi, or 2.5 tons of force..." He started.

"Whoa! This kid's strong!" Hawkeye said.

"I'm still not done. The average human hand is 3.3 inches, compared to the tip of the snake's fang, the tip is about 0.02 inches, so 2.5 tons per square inch, over .02 inches, that's about... 125 tons that kid's holding back." Tony said, shocked himself.

"Whoa! That kid's almost as strong as I am!" Spider-Man said.

"It's official. This kid's my favorite." Widow said.

"Combined with the speed and skill he displayed, he'd be quite a contender in our world." Cap said.

"I'd like to see how he'd do against me." Hulk said.

"Indeed! A warrior of speed strength and skill. Truly a mighty combination!" Thor said.

 **"Now, close your eyes and concentrate."** ** **Pyrrha instructed, walking up to Jaune and touching the side of his head.****

 **"Uhh... Okay." Jaune said, complying.  
**

 **Pyrrha smiled and closed her own eyes, opening them as her skin glowed and her irises shrank before shutting them again. The two stood there, now with Pyrrha glowing a faint red and Jaune a bright white.**

"What's she doing?" Spider-Man asked.

"We'll have to watch and see." Widow said.

 **(For it is in passing that we achieve immortality. Through this, we become a paragon of virtue and glory to rise above all, infinite in distance and unbound by death.) She mentally recited, placing a hand on his chest. "I release your soul, and by my shoulder protect thee." Pyrrha finished as she stopped glowing red and hunched over in tiredness.**

 **"Pyrrha?"** ** **Jaune asked in concern, still glowing.****

"She looks like she's going to collapse!" Steve said.

 **"It's all right. I used my Aura to unlock yours, but the energy that protects you now is your own." She explained as she got back up and grinned as she watched the scratch close up and vanish. "You have a lot of it." She said.  
**

"Man, I wish I had that. It'd save me a bunch on bandages when I have accidents in the lab." Tony said.

 **"Wow..."** ** **Jaune said, smiling and looking at his hands as the glow stopped.****

 **At the same time, Ren stood atop of the body of his enemy, sliding the weapons into his sleeves and brushing them off.**

"Not bad, kid. Not bad at all." Widow said.

 **Suddenly, a strange, animal-like noise was heard above him twice. He looked up and met the upside-down eyes of Nora Valkyrie.**

 **"I still don't think that's what a sloth sounds like." Ren chuckled.  
**

 **In response, Nora gave her friend a "Boop!" on the nose, causing him to smile and the scene cut to black.**

This got a laugh or "aww" from the Avengers before the next episode started.

 **We now see** **Professor Ozpin watching the students on his Scroll at the Beacon Cliff overlooking the Emerald Forest when Glynda walked up behind him, holding her own tablet.**

 **"The last pair has been formed, sir." Glynda informed him as she tapped the screen to show the ending scene of the last episode. "Nora Valkyrie and Lie Ren. Poor boy... I can't possibly imagine those two getting along." She said.**

"I don't know. Ever heard of 'Opposites attract?'" Peter asked.

"Nora said they've been friends for quite some time, so they must've been able to work well before." Widow said.

 **"Still, he's probably better off than Miss Nikos." She said as the video changed to Pyrrha and Jaune Arc's trek through the woods.**

 **"Mmmm..." Ozpin hummed curiously.  
**

 **"I don't care what his transcripts say. That Jaune fellow is not ready for this level of combat." She said sternly as she deactivated the tablet, walking back a little.**

"Give him a chance. Stop doubting him. Besides, that's what he's here for: to learn and advance in combat." Steve said.

"Hell hath no fury like Captain America sticking up for the little guys." Tony said, earning an elbow from the Super Soldier.

 **"I guess we'll find out soon enough. At their current pace, they should reach the temple within just a few minutes." She explained, turning back to Ozpin. "Speaking of which, what did you use as relics this year?" She asked the headmaster, only to be met with silence. "Professor Ozpin?" She asked again.**

 **Ozpin didn't answer, watching his tablet with a contemplating interest as it showed the footage of Ruby sitting in the grass and picking stray leaves while her "partner" Weiss walked in random directions.**

"Oh, yeah. I bet this is going great." Hawkeye said sarcastically.

* * *

 **"It's definitely this way."** ** **Weiss said, walking to the right, before she** stopped. "I mean... this way! It's definitely this way." She corrected, walking to the left, before coming back and stopping in front of Ruby. "Alright, it's official: We passed it." She said.  
**

"And she has no sense of direction. Wonderful." Widow said.

"Basic directions and navigating is one of the first things we learn in Asgard." Thor said.

 **"Weiss, why can't you just admit that you have no idea where we're going?"** ** **Ruby asked as she stood up, slightly annoyed.****

 **"Because I know exactly where we're going! We're going... to... the forest temple!" Weiss answered.**

"Knowing where you're going is not the same as knowing how to get there." Cap said.

"And you're definitely not gonna find it by going in 2 different directions before deciding you passed it." Tony agreed.

 **Ruby sighed, frustrated. "Oh, stop it! You don't know where we are, either!" She snapped.  
**

 **"Well, at least I'm not pretending like I know everything." Ruby countered.  
**

"Easy, girls. fighting won't get you anywhere." Spider-Man said.

"But it'll feel real nice after Ruby kicks her butt." Hulk said.

 **"What is that supposed to mean?" Weiss demanded.  
**

 **"It means you're a big, stupid jerk and I hate you!" Ruby snapped.  
**

 **Weiss sighed to herself, spinning around and walking in another direction. "Just keep moving!" She ordered.  
**

"You gotta pick a direction to move in first!" Hawkeye taunted.

 **"Oh, just keep moving! Hurry up! Waaaah! Watch where you're going!"** ** **Ruby whined in a faux imitation of Weiss' voice.** "Why are you so bossy?" ******She demanded in her normal voice.****

 **"I'm not bossy! Don't say things like that!"** ** **Weiss snapped, turning back around to face Ruby.****

"All you've done if snap at her and order her around. Sounds bossy to me." Natsha said.

 **"Stop treating me like a kid!" Ruby snapped back.  
**

 **"Stop acting like a kid!" Weiss argued.  
**

 **"Well, stop acting like you're perfect!" Ruby countered.  
**

 **"I'm. Not. Perfect! Not yet... But I'm still leagues better than you." Weiss said as she continued to walk away.**

 **"You don't even know me..."** ** **Ruby said to herself, dejectedly.****

"Poor Ruby." Spider-Man said sadly.

"I hate that brat." Hulk growled.

"She'll definitely never be perfect with an attitude like that." Tony said.

"No one is or will ever be perfect, but Weiss is definitely a long way from it." Cap said.

* * *

 **From the forest, Yang and Blake stepped out into a clearing that revealed the circular stone temple, broken and decrepit but for the platforms around its inside, holding several black and gold objects.**

 **"Think this is it?" Yang asked.  
**

"What else could it be?" Natasha asked.

 **In response, Blake gave Yang an incredulous look and headed down the hill, her partner following. They walked across the floor and observed the items on each pedestal, now shown to be familiar shapes.**

 **"Chess pieces?"** ** **Blake asked, looking at a black king, confused.****

"That's their relic? Random junk? I would think I'm being pranked." Peter said.

"Well, this school's been running for years, I'm assuming the original relics must've been worn or broken over time." Cap said.

 **"Some of them are missing. Looks like we weren't the first ones here." Yang deduced.  
**

 **"Well, I guess we should pick one." Blake said as she looked at the pieces.  
**

"I'd pick a bishop. A cute little trainee at S.H.I.E.L.D is named Kate Bishop. She picked up the bow and arrow, just like me. Wants to be the next Hawkeye." Clint said.

* * *

 **Jaune and Pyrrha were standing at the mouth of a dark cave, where drawings were seen to the side involving armed men against giant beasts.**

 **"Think this is it?" He asked.  
**

"It has painting of people fighting a giant monster, that's definitely not it!" Tony said.

 **The scene cut to their walk inside the cave, Jaune holding a short, burning torch to light their way.**

 **"I'm not sure this is it." Pyrrha said, slightly concerned.  
**

"Yet you still let him lead you in there?" Widow asked, raising a brow.

 **Jaune sighed. "Pyrrha, I made the torch. Could you at least humor me for, like, five more feet?" He asked.  
**

 **Suddenly and completely unexpectedly, Jaune tripped on the ground, and the torch flew into a small puddle, extinguishing the flame so the two were cast in darkness with only their eyes visible.**

"How's that for humor?" Spider-Man teased.

"Okay, I'll admit it: he's got a long way to go. He should've known better than to go in there and definitely should've taken better care of the torch." Steve said.

 **"Do you... feel that?"** ** **Pyrrha asked as Jaune got up and grumbled.****

 **"Soul-crushing regret?" Jaune asked.  
**

 **"No, it's... warm." Pyrrha said.  
**

"That likely means there's another being in the cave ahead. A very large one." Thor said.

* * *

 **Back at the temple, Yang approached one of the relics.**

 **"Hmmmm..." Yang hummed as she studied the golden knight, then picked it up and showed it to Blake. "How about a cute little pony?" She asked.  
**

"Good choice!" Hulk said, giving a thumb's up.

 **"Sure." Blake said with a smirk as they walked towards each other to the center of the temple floor.**

 **"That wasn't too hard!" Yang said.  
**

 **"Well, it's not like this place is very difficult to find." Blake said as they shared a smile.**

"So far, these two are either the best team, or at least the second best." Hawkeye said.

"I'd say second best. They get along well, but so do Ren and Nora, who have a history together and probably know how to fight together." Cap said.

* * *

 **Jaune and Pyrrha continued onward through the cave until they saw a large glowing point of gold right in front of them, illuminating Jaune's excited features.**

"This must be a trap. If the actual relics are mere chess pieces, something that extravagant must be a fake." Thor said.

 **"That's the relic!" Jaune said happily as he slowly reached out to grab it, but it moved away from his swipe. "Hey! Bad... relic!" He scolded as he tried to get it again, then jumped forward and hung onto it as the object raised him above the ground. "Gotcha!" He said.  
**

"Kid, the relic's lifting you. Time to let go!" Tony said.

 **"Jaune...?" Pyrrha asked worriedly.  
**

 **Jaune's catch lowered itself so he was dangling right in front of the now-glowing red lines and eyes of a Death Stalker.**

"Oh, great. A scorpion." Spider-Man said, annoyed.

* * *

 **Jaune's scream was heard all the way from the temple, where Yang turned towards the direction of its source.**

 **"Some girl's in trouble! Blake, did you hear that?" Yang asked her partner.  
**

The Avengers all burst out laughing at this. Even Captain America chuckled a bit.

 **Blake didn't answer, staring at something in the sky.**

* * *

 **At the cave entrance, Pyrrha rushed out right before the monster crashed through the hole, roaring and waving its grass-encrusted claws as Jaune hung from the stinger, calling for help and continuing to scream.**

"Whoa! At least the scorpion I deal with is only an 8th of that thing's size!" Spider-Man said in horror.

"Aww, man! I wanna fight that thing!" Hulk groaned.

"Indeed! It'd be a worthy challenge for the Son of Odin!" Thor boomed.

 **"Help! Whoa-ah-ah-ah-ah! Why?! Pyrrha! He-e-e-elp! Pyrrha, this is not the relic! It's not!" Jaune sobbed. "Do something!" He pleaded as he**  
 ** **continued to cry and get shaken around.****

"Oh, come on, kid! You never cry in front of a girl you try to flirt with!" Tony said.

"Tony, if ever there was a time to cry, I think that's it." Cap said.

 **Pyrrha was wielding Miló in front of the creature. "Jaune! Whatever you do, don't let-" She instructed, but before she could finish, the Grimm hurled its tail back and launched a still-screaming Jaune across the forest as she watched in dismay. "... go." She said as she turned back to the scorpion as it continued to snap its claws at her, and she smiled embarrassedly before turning and rushing away in a burst of green leaves.**

"Smart move." Widow said.

* * *

 **Blake was still staring at something above them, but Yang was focused on the forest.**

 **"Blake, did you hear that?" Yang asked, turning to her partner. "What should we do?" She asked again.  
**

 **Finally, the faint-but-growing-louder scream of "Heads uuuuuuuup!" was heard when Ruby fell from the sky and presumably crash landed to the ground, when the scene cut to black.**

"What the?!" The Avengers all said together.

"How did Ruby get up that high to be falling from there in the first place?!" Tony asked.

"Is she okay?!" Peter asked worriedly.

"We'll have to start the next episode and find out." Cap said, reaching for the remote, playing the next episode.

* * *

 **A/N: Another chapter down! I hope you all enjoy it. I was thinking of including the WoR about Aura in this episode, but then I remembered, it also talks about Semblances, which the Avengers have yet to learn about. And for all those who have asked and who will ask in the future, I plan on doing the "Avengers Watch My Hero Academia" story when I finish Volume 1 for this story. In the mean time, does anyone know where I can find transcripts for My Hero Academia? If someone could help me out with that, I'd be very grateful!**

 **Oh, also, there is a story wear RWBY characters watch My Hero Academia:** ** **RWBY watching boku no hero academia by hyper-gamer-x. So this got me thinking of a fun challenge. If anyone is up to it, how about they write a story where Class 1-A (with the option of Aizawa and All Might, that's up to the writer) watches RWBY? If someone is up to the challenge, I'd love to see what you come up with!  
****

 ** **That's all for now! Again, I hope you enjoyed the story and I'll get right onto work for the next chapter!****


	10. Episode 5: Players and Pieces

"Alright. We need to figure out what just happened to Ruby." Hawkeye said.

"I'm on it." Cap said, starting the episode.

* * *

 **We see** **Weiss and Ruby hanging on to something very feathery and very fast, as evidenced by the loud wind and the two being blown sideways.**

"What and how?" Spider-Man asked.

"They must've hitched a ride on something VERY BIG. I'm guessing whatever that feather came from." Tony said.

 **"Ruby! I told you this was a terrible idea!"** ** **Weiss called to her partner, shouting to be heard.****

 **"We're fine! Stop worrying!"** ** **Ruby assured her, also raising her voice.****

 **"I am so far beyond worrying!" Weiss Countered.  
**

 **"In a good way?" Ruby asked.  
**

 **"In a bad way! In a very bad way!" Weiss denied.  
**

"Not gonna lie, I gotta agree with Weiss on this one." Widow said.

"They're living on the edge! Nothing wrong with that." Hawkeye said.

 **"Well, why don't we just jump?"Ruby asked.  
**

 **"What are you? Insane?!" Weiss asked in disbelief. She was met with silence, as Ruby had already disappeared. "Oh, you insufferable little red-!" She cursed after her partner.  
**

"Language!" Cap said.

"Hope she has another landing strategy." Hulk said.

 **Down on the ground in the Abandoned Temple, Blake was still staring skyward and pointing for Yang to look up after the last episode.  
**

 **"Blake, did you hear that? What should we do?" Yang asked her partner.  
**

 **"Heads uuuuuuuup!"** ** **Ruby screamed while falling right towards them, finally getting Yang's attention.****

 **Just as she was about to hit the ground panicking, Jaune came flying through the air and crashed into Ruby, knocking her off course and sending them both into a tree to the left of where Blake and Yang were standing.**

"Nicely done, Jaune." Steve said, despite of course knowing it was dumb luck.

"He was merely lucky, Captain." Thor said.

 **Ruby was dazed by the rough landing, as evidenced by the cutesy Beowolves and stars circling her head. "Oohhhh... What was that?" She groaned, before the dizziness passed when she shook her head.**

 **"Eh-hem!" A voice came from above her. Ruby looked up to see Jaune hanging upside-down in a tree branch above her. "Hey, Ruby..." He said.  
**

"Man, if I had a nickel for every time I wound up like that." Peter said.

 **"Did your sister just fall from the sky?"** ** **Blake asked back on the ground, looking at the tree.****

 **"I..." Yang said unsurely.  
**

"You clearly saw it, so why bother asking?" Widow said.

"It was so crazy, she needed a second opinion to confirm. Happens to me plenty." Hawkeye said.

 **Before she could continue, several crashing noises were heard in the forest ahead of them and an Ursa came out, claws swiping, just as a pink blast of energy hit it in the back and it crashed to the ground, depositing its rider.**

 **"YEEEE-HAAAAW!" Nora cheered as she rolled off of the creature's back, then got up and groaned, saddened. "Awwww... It's broken." She said sadly as she dashed onto its neck and observed the carcass as Ren came up behind her.**

"Ha ha! An impressive warrior this young Nora is! taming such a mighty beast is worthy of praise!" Thor cheered.

"Aww, man! I wanna do that! But I wouldn't fit on its back." Hulk said, grumbling.

 **"Nora! Please... Don't ever do that again."** ** **Ren pleaded as he panted and leaned on the monster.** He looked up again and noticed by the pink dotted outline of where his partner should be that Nora had run off again, and looked around frantically. **

**"Oooohh..."** ** **Nora said, now in the Temple, staring at a golden rook relic. She** suddenly grabbed it, an animation of stars and her hammer symbol playing in the pink background. "I'm queen of the castle! I'm queen of the castle!" She sang ******as she danced and sang with the chess piece.****

"Well, I like her energy, but her listening could use some work. Also running in without thinking." Spider-Man said.

"She acts first and thinks about it later. All the best heroes do that. Like me." Tony said.

"I like the hammer symbol behind her." Thor said.

 **"Nora!" Ren called for her off-screen.  
**

 **Nora stopped dancing with the rook on her head, then saluted, dropping the relic into her hand. "Coming, Ren!" She called back, skipping off to her friend.**

 **"Did that girl just ride in on an Ursa?" Blake asked.  
**

 **"I..." Yang said, unsurely.  
**

"Okay, seriously. She's seeing everything you are. She doesn't have any information you don't." Widow said.

"She just wants to make sure she's not crazy. I'd think I was if I was seeing this." Hawkeye defended again.

"Too bad you're already crazy." Tony taunted.

 **She was interrupted once more as a screech was heard from their right, Pyrrha coming onto the scene as the scorpion creature uprooted entire trees in its chase after her. Pyrrha narrowly dodged its giant claws and keps on running.**

"Nice! Way to stay ahead of it!" Cap said approvingly.

 **"Jaune!" Pyrrha called to him.  
**

 **"Pyrrha!" Jaune called back.  
**

 **Ruby stood up, looking at the monster below. "Whoa!" She said in awe, before running off of the branch and landing in a roll.**

 **"Ruby!" Jaune whined.  
**

 **"Ruby!"** ** **Yang said in surprise as Ruby stood up, back on the ground.****

 **"Yang!" Ruby said excitedly, raising her arms as if to give her sister a hug.**

 **"Nora!" Nora announced herself as she came between the two and knocking them off-balance in surprise.**

"Ha! The old 'calling out everyone's name' bit. Classic." Peter said.

"Is now really the time for it?" Hulk asked.

 **The scorpion Grimm continued to follow Pyrrha as she ran.**

 **"Did she just run all the way here with a Death Stalker on her tail?" Blake asked.  
**

"Really? What are you expecting to hear besides 'yes'?" Natasha asked.

"Yeah, it is getting a bit repetitive now." Clint admitted.

"Repetition is key in humor, my friends! Thrice it was spoken, the perfect amount to ensure laughter. Not too few, nor too many." Thor explained.

 **Yang had had enough, getting angrier until she growled and erupted in a small burst of fire, eyes flashing red. "I can't take it anymore! Can everyone just chill out for two seconds before something crazy happens again?!" She demanded.  
**

"Yeah, I'd need a break to process this, too." Tony said.

 **The tick-tock of a clock counted down the two seconds of Yang cooling down, Ren running over to a ditzy Nora, Blake and Ruby looking up.**

 **"Umm... Yang?" Ruby asked as she tugged on her sister's sleeve and pointed upward.**

 **Up above, Weiss was revealed to be hanging on a talon the size of her entire body that belonged to a gigantic Nevermore.**

"Well! We know where the feather came from!" Cap said.

"How did they even get up there!?" Hawkeye asked.

"Another mighty beast! Surely it will be a great challenge for our young heroes!" Thor cheered.

"Yeah! Take it down!" Hulk cheered as well.

 **"How could you leave me?!"** ** **Weiss called down to Ruby.****

"You've given her plenty of reasons to." Tony said.

"I'm surprised she didn't ditch her sooner." Widow agreed.

 **"I said 'jump'!"** ** **Ruby shouted back up at Weiss.****

 **"She's gonna fall." Blake said.  
**

 **"She'll be fine." Ruby said dismissively.  
**

"Ha! That's what I would've said!" Clint laughed.

"Hawkeye, we help everyone in danger. Even if they are arrogant brats." Cap said.

 **"She's falling." Ren said.  
**

"What about those weird sigil things?" Tony asked.

"Yeah. She should be able to get herself down. That was their first test." Spider-Man agreed.

"A little hard to focus and take action when you're falling hundreds of feet in the air." Widow said.

 **Jaune was finally out of the tree, panting until he looked up and grinned at the sight of Weiss falling through the air, giving him the opportunity to jump off the branch with arms outstretched and catch her in a slowed-down moment.**

 **"Just... dropping in?"** ** **Jaune asked dreamily as he smiled at Weiss.****

"Nice work, Jaune!" Cap said approvingly.

"Yeah, but they're forgetting something." Hawkeye said with a smirk.

 **Weiss was speechless... and Jaune realized why when they both looked down. "Oh, God." He said as they hung on to each other wide-eyed as their moment of suspension ended, their weapons flying behind them. "Oh, noooooooo- Oomph!" He groaned as he did a face-plant into the dirt, limbs splayed out, serving as the perfect landing spot for Weiss as she fell into a seated position on his body.**

 **"My hero."** ** **Weiss said mockingly as she looked at her nails.****

 **"My back..."** ** **Jaune groaned.****

"Well, at least he still saved her." Steve said awkwardly.

"Too bad he couldn't save his spine, though." Widow said with a smirk.

"Good thing for that aura stuff." Hulk said, the rest nodding.

 **The Death Stalker was still hunting Pyrrha, but she managed to land on her side at the feet of the heroes. "Great! The gang's all here! Now we can die together!" Yang said.  
**

 **"Not if I can help it!" Ruby said as she sounded a battle cry and rushed towards the Grimm.**

 **"Ruby, wait!" Yang called after her.  
**

"That thing's way too big for one person! She should wait for help!" Cap said.

"Yeah, something tells me that things tougher than a bunch of wolves." Tony said.

"Nonsense! Young Ruby is a true warrior! Surely she can handle this oversized scorpion." Thor said.

"Yeah! She'll squash that bug!" Hulk agreed.

 **Ruby, still screaming, fired Crescent Rose and charged at the oncoming Death Stalker. When the two met, the Grimm swiped Ruby away and she was knocked back.**

"Oh." The strongest two Avengers said together, their smirks instantly wiped off their faces.

"No matter how good you are, there's always going to be something you can't beat on your own." Natasha said.

"By the way, big guy, scorpions are arachnids, just like spiders." Spider-Man taunted Hulk.

 **"D-Do-Don't worry! Totally fine!"** ** **Ruby called back as she got up slowly.****

 **Ruby turned back to the monster and shot it in the skull, running away from it and sheathing her scythe as the Death Stalker now went after her.**

"That's some tough armor, tanking a high-impact sniper round like that." Cap said.

"Yep. Running's the smart move." Hawkeye said.

 **"Ruby!" Yang called after her sister, running forward.  
**

 **Ruby rushed towards Yang, but the Nevermore cawed above them, flapping its wings and releasing lines of sharpened feathers with points that caught on Ruby's cape and prevented Yang from reaching her.**

 **"Ruby, get out of there!" Yang cried.  
**

 **"I'm trying!"** ** **Ruby called back, struggling with the cloak.****

"Ditch the cloak!" Tony said.

"Maybe it's important to her. That'd be like asking Hawkeye to ditch his shades." Spider-Man said.

 **The Death Stalker approached, raising its golden stinger above a scared Ruby and heading down on the helpless girl. "Ruby!" Yang cried out again,** ** **reaching out in vain.****

 **A white blur raced past Yang and reached the stinger just as it was about to pierce Ruby, cutting the scene to black.**

"Weiss!" Cap said.

"What happened?!" Clint said.

"She must've saved Ruby. She HAD to have saved her." Widow said.

 **"You are so childish!" Weiss snapped off-screen.**

 **Ruby opened her eyes to the sight of the stinger encased in ice and lowered her arms from their futile position over her head as she stared at her savior. "Weiss...?" She asked.  
**

 **"And dim-witted, and hyperactive, and don't even get me started on your fighting style."** ** **Weiss continued to berate Ruby as she removed Myrtenaster from the ice.****

"Even when she's saving someone's life, she's a jerk." Tony said.

"Still, she did save Ruby's life. You have to be grateful for that." Cap said.

"So, maybe she's not SO bad. But she's still a brat." Hulk said.

 ** **"** And I suppose I can be a bit... difficult... but if we're going to do this, we're going to have to do this together. So if you quit trying to show off, I'll be... nicer." She offered.  
**

 **"I'm not trying to show off. I want you to know I can do this." Ruby explained.  
**

 **"You're fine." Weiss assured her as she walked away.**

 **Ruby breathed** a **sigh of relief, then closed her eyes and clasped her hands together. "Normal knees..."** ** **She gratefully whispered.****

"You're on your way, Ruby. You'll have friends in no time." Natasha said with a smile.

"Anyone can make friends if they find the right people." Clint said.

 ** **S** he got up and stared at the Death Stalker as it struggled to escape with its tail trapped in a massive wall of ice. "Whoa!" She said in awe.  
**

"Whoa!" All the Avengers said at once.

"We knew she could use ice, but that's just insane!" Spider-Man said.

"And she doesn't even look tired. Something tells me we haven't seen her limit by a long shot." Cap said.

 **Yang rushed up to Ruby and gave her a hug, which Ruby grunted at upon receiving. "So happy you're okay!" Yang said happily as the two stared at each other for a moment.**

Thor smiled sadly at this. He was happy both girls were okay and had a good relationship, but he remembered a time when he and Loki were younger and he always made sure his brother was okay. He missed those days.

 **The two then looked up at the Nevermore still flying overhead and roaring.**

 **"Guys? That thing's circling back! What are we gonna do?"** ** **Jaune asked, back with the group.****

 **"Look, there's no sense in dilly-dallying. Our objective is right in front of us." She explained as the heroes stared at the relics.**

 **"She's right. Our mission is to grab an artifact and make it back to the Cliffs." Ruby agreed, nodding to Weiss. "There's no point in fighting these things." She said.  
**

 **"Run and live - that's an idea I can get behind!" Jaune said.  
**

"Oh, come on, that's lame! Fight them! That's your job!" Hulk shouted.

"Indeed. Running is the coward's way!" Thor shouted.

"Against monsters THAT big? I don't think ANYONE should stick around and fight them." Spider-Man said.

 **Ruby went over and grabbed a gold knight identical to the one Yang picked out and Jaune took hold of a gold rook similar to Nora and Ren's piece, the two smiling at each other. The Death Stalker continued to fight its bonds, cracking the ice a little in the process.**

 **"Time we left!" Ren said urgently.  
**

 **"Right." Ruby agreed as she waved to the others. "Let's go!" She said as she went forward with everyone following except for a smiling Yang and Blake as the latter approached her partner.**

 **"What is it?" Blake asked the blonde.  
**

 **Yang simply stared proudly at Ruby as she leapt on a boulder and motioned the group onward. "Nothing..." She said as she moved on as Blake smiled in realization - possibly towards the audience - and left as well.**

"Okay, I swear she's looking at the screen on purpose!" Spider-Man said.

"She doesn't even know there's a screen there, Spidey. Calm down." Iron Man said.

Thor watched Yang stare proudly at Ruby, sighing again, remembering the times he was proud of his brother and wishing he could be again.

* * *

 **An overhead shot showed that the group was heading out of the forest and into another abandoned series of structures as the Nevermore followed them from the air. They spread out when it passesd above, concealing themselves behind some of the stone blocks with their allies as it perched on a high column and cawed.**

 **"Well, that's great!"** ** **Yang said, annoyed.****

"Yes! Now they have to stay and fight!" Hulk said.

"Well, let's see what these kids can really do, then." Widow said.

"They'll have to work together to take down monsters that big." Cap said.

"Hopefully they can work together and don't just kill each other in the process." Tony said.

 **Jaune looked behind at the Death Stalker bursting onto the scene. "Ah, man, run!" He shouted as the group emerged from their hiding spots, causing the Nevermore to rise up into the air.**

 **"Nora, distract it!" Ren ordered.  
**

 **Nora obliged, running out from her block and jumping through the feather projectiles before reaching behind her and launching several heart-topped shells from her grenade launcher, bursting into pink electricity when they hit the Nevermore and caused it to retreat.**

"Huzzah! Young Nora continues to show her prowess!" Thor laughed.

"Nice. Way to dodge those feathers." Cap said.

"Good choice of weapon, too. A grenade launcher's the perfect weapon to deal some serious damage to these huge monsters." Tony said.

"And she managed to make them cute, too. Impressive. I like the heart design." Natasha said.

 **She was unaware of the Death Stalker rushing up behind her until Blake and Ren performed a cross-slash with their Gambol Shroud and StormFlower against its shell. Weiss landed next to Nora so she could create a jumping platform beneath them and leapt to safety while Blake and Ren were now being chased.**

"Good! they're covering each other and working together to keep each other out of harm's way." Cap said.

"For a bunch of kids, they've got some good moves. They're gonna go far." Spider-Man said.

"You're still a kid. And look at all you've accomplished." Hulk said.

"Aww, thanks, big guy-" Peter started.

"And they're even better with that aura that stops them from getting hurt and that dust that blows everything up!" Hulk laughed.

Peter sighed at this. "If there's one thing Hulk's good at, it's tearing you down after building you up." He said.

 **"Go, go!" Pyrrha ordered as she stopped running beside Jaune and got out Miló, firing red shots alongside Ren's green blasts for a second until it reached them and tried to swipe, prompting the group to run again.**

 **The eight raced over the ancient stone bridge, not noticing the Nevermore closing in on them until it used its giant wings to shatter the path right in the middle, forcing Ruby, Weiss, Yang, Nora, and Jaune closer to the central collection of columns and leaving Blake, Ren, and Pyrrha on the other side with the Death Stalker.**

"Jeez! I thought birds are supposed to be super fragile with hollow bones!" Hawkeye said.

"Not when they're the size of a house!" Tony said.

 **Ruby fired at the retreating Nevermore while Blake was beaten back by the scorpion.**

 **"Man, we gotta get over there! They need help!"** ** **Jaune said worriedly, coming to the edge of the break in the bridge.****

 **"Let's do this!"** ** **Nora said determinedly, running up beside him.****

 **"Yeah, but, uh... I can't make that jump."** ** **Jaune said, looking down at the misty abyss.****

 **Nora smiled diabolically at him, laughing as she knocked him back, turned her weapon to its full-length hammer form, and jumped to the edge of the bridge.**

"Aha! A hammer! A worthy weapon for such a mighty young warrior! I may have found my new favorite!" Thor laughed.

"Oh? Maybe we were wrong. Yang isn't your daughter, Nora is!" Tony said.

"You will NOT start that again!" Thor snapped.

"Come on, blondie! Let us meet your secret kids!" Hulk teased.

"I have no secret children! Just because this Nora wields a hammer like me does not make her my offspring!" Thor snapped again. "Although, I will admit, I would be lucky to have a child like her one day." He admitted.

"And be sure to let her see her big sister Nora regularly." Widow teased, to which Thor grumbled.

 **"Oh, wait!"** ** **Jaune pleaded, seeing what she's about to do. T** oo late, she slammed the hammer into the bridge and threw Jaune to the other side. "No, no, no!" He cried out fearfully.  
**

 **Nora placed one foot on the hammer and fired it off the collapsing section of bridge, launching her to slam its face right in the center of the Death Stalker's skull. She fired it just as the stinger came down to get her, and blasted back again to avoid its reach, accidentally knocking into Blake and making her fall from the edge.**

"No!" All the Avengers shouted as Blake fell.

 **Blake saw the Nevermore above her and launched her whip so the gun's blade sank into the edge of the bridge, circling around and leaping onto the aerial Grimm's back. She dashed all over its body, slashing the entire time, before jumping off and landing on the ruined platform at the top of the columns next to Ruby, then going over to Yang and Weiss. "It's tougher than it looks!" Blake said.  
**

"Whoa! She was swinging like me!" Spider-Man said.

"Well, then. Now that she's safe, that was an excellent move Nora executed." Thor said.

"You must be such a proud dad." Hawkeye teased.

"Enough!" Thor snapped.

"Nora is strong, but she needs to be mindful of her surroundings. If that was anyone besides Blake, they might not have made it." Cap said.

"Yeah. You can be the strongest person on the field, but you still can't go knocking teammates into bottomless pits." Tony agreed.

 **"Then let's hit it with everything we got!"** ** **Yang said, readying her Ember Celica.****

 **The Nevermore approached, Ruby, Blake, Weiss, and Yang set their weapons to fire a barrage of blasts at the bird, which it either dodged or tanked harmlessly until it crashed through the columns and platform. The girls leapt from one section of falling stone to the next until they reached the higher bridge on top, just below the cliffs.**

"Now they're running up walls faster than they can fall. Is there anything these girls CAN'T do?!" Hawkeye said.

"These kids are definitely on a level past us." Widow said, referring to herself, Hawkeye and Cap.

"I'm more worried about this bird. It's tanking and smashing through all this stuff, but it still won't go down." Tony said.

"They're working together, but they still need a plan." Cap said.

 **"None of this is working!" Weiss snapped.  
**

 **Ruby watched Blake whip over to another section of the area and Yang firing round after flaming round at the Grimm. "I have a plan! Cover me!" She said as she blasted away as Weiss raised her blade and headed into the fray.**

"Hey, there we go." Peter said.

 **Down below, the Death Stalker was still battling Jaune, Ren, Nora, and Pyrrha.**

 **"We gotta move!" Jaune said as they all rushed towards it.**

 **The Death Stalker aimed a claw at Pyrrha, but she deflected it with her Akoúo shield and slashed it with her blade. The scorpion recoiled and swiped at her with its other claw, but Jaune was there to deflect it with his shield, knocking it back so Pyrrha could leap over and attack its face.**

"Very good. Solid teamwork." Cap praised.

"Take that, stupid bug!" Hulk snapped.

 **Ren ran up firing and got on the stinger when it tried to hit him, shooting at the base between it and the tail while Nora fired more grenades at the attacking claws. Pyrrha hurled her javelin straight into one of the monster's ten eyes, making it throw Ren to the side.**

 **"Ren!" Nora cried out worriedly as Ren hit the side of a stone block hard and falls to the ground, not getting back up.**

"Oh, no!" Spider-Man said.

"He'll be fine. I don't see him going down that easy. The kid's too good for that." Widow said.

"A valiant attempt. Well done, young Ren." Thor said.

 **Jaune, though, managed to stand and notice the stinger is hanging limply.**

 **"Pyrrha!" He called to his partner.  
**

 **"Done!" She confirmed as she raised the shield and hurled it like a discus, slicing the stinger off and causing it to fall into the Death Stalker's head as Pyrrha retrieved her rebounding shield.**

"Well, looks like someone takes after you, Cap." Tony said.

"That was pretty impressive. Believe it or not, it's not easy to get the shield to come back." Steve said.

"Well, this girl's got it down. Not surprised, though. They did say she was like a 4 year champion." Hawkeye said.

 **"Nora, nail it!" Jaune said.  
**

 **"Heads up!" Nora said as she jumped on Akoúo, Pyrrha leapt as Nora aimed her blast down to give herself a maximum lift. She smiled the entire way up before twirling down until her hammer slammed its head into the stinger, driving the point through the Death Stalker's head and crushing the bridge beneath it.**

"Nice! He might not be the best, but Jaune's definitely an effective strategist." Cap said.

"Gotta have fun with what you do, I guess." Spider-Man said.

"Yes! Well done, young Nora!" Thor cheered.

"Yeah! No more nasty bug monster!" Hulk cheered as well.

 **Jaune and Pyrrha bounded over the monster to the land behind it and Nora fired up and away behind them as the monster fell to its doom. Jaune hit the ground on his back, Nora landed on her bottom, Pyrrha managed a crouched pose, and Ren simply walked over to them, panting and groaning until he just collapsed. The other three got up and watched as the Nevermore was peppered with firepower.**

"Alright, girls. Your turn now." Cap said.

"Bring it home." Tony said.

 **Yang was still burning through her ammo on the beast, landing a blow at its face and causing it to head right towards her, but she leapt for its open maw and forced the beak wide as she attacks.**

 **"I! Hope! You're! Hung-! ...-gry!"** ** **Yang screamed and fired a round into its gullet with each syllable, until** she looked behind her and jumped back from its mouth onto a ruin, causing the creature to crash into the cliffs. **

"Yeah! How'd that taste, birdie?!" Hulk snapped.

"Looks like you're not so good at breaking through cliffs!" Hawkeye said.

"That slowed it down, but it's not done yet." Natasha said.

 **Despite Yang's attempts, the Nevermore recovered quickly, but Yang smiled as she spotted Ruby and Blake on the broken columns with Weiss rushing to the battle. Yang passed her while the Nevermore started to fly back up, but Weiss hopped over to the ruin it was lifting off of and froze the tip of its feathery tail to the ground, leaving it stuck in the same spot despite its flapping. Weiss back-flipped into a snowflake-circle jump and landed on the other side, running to the group.**

"Excellent work! Immobilizing your opponent almost ensures victory!" Thor said.

"It's definitely one of my favorite tactics." Spider-Man said.

 **Blake fired the pistol portion of Gambol Shroud over to Yang and the two tightened it between the columns so Ruby could jump on the center with Crescent Rose and bent it back into Weiss' black sigil, right next to the caster.**

"A slingshot. With a very fast girl with a very sharp scythe as its ammo. Good idea." Tony said.

"The bow and arrow's predecessor. I can respect that." Hawkeye said.

 **"Of course you would come up with this idea." Weiss said.  
**

 **"Think you can make the shot?" Ruby asked.  
**

 **"Hmm! Can I!"** ** **Weiss said confidently.****

 **A second passed. "Can you?" Ruby asked.**

 **"Of course I can!" Weiss snapped.  
**

"Come on, girls. It's going well, don't ruin it now." Cap warned.

"Still, Weiss could've been more clear about that." Spider-Man said.

 **Ruby looked forward and pumped Crescent Rose as Weiss turned the circle from black to red and released Ruby at such a speed that the ground behind her launch cracked, rose petals flying from her ascent. With each new shot, she got closer and closer to the trapped Grimm until her scythe caught the Nevermore's neck in its blade and caused them both to fall to the cliff wall. Weiss raised her sword and created a series of white circles up the wall, which Ruby dashed through by firing the entire way up.**

"She's got it!" Hulk said.

"Finish it, young Ruby!" Thor cheered.

"This is it!" Widow said.

 **Yang, Blake and an exhausted Weiss watched her climb up with the bird in her grasp until, both warrior and monster crying out, Ruby reached the top of the cliff, circled up, fired one last shot and rended the Nevermore's head from its shoulders in a shower of petals.**

"YEAH!" All the Avengers cheered at once.

"Take that, stupid bird!" Hulk snapped.

"Truly an undeniable victory!" Thor agreed.

"Those kids aren't bad. And they'll get even better when they learn more about each other and learn to match and apply their fighting styles together." Widow said.

 **She landed beside the severed head as the body of the giant Nevermore fell lifeless to the ruins and crevice below while the girls and, farther away, Jaune, Pyrrha, Nora, and Ren watched in amazement.**

 **"Wow..." Jaune said in awe.  
**

 **Ruby, her cape and petals flowing with the wind, looked down to her friends as they peered up.**

 **"Well... That was a thing!" Yang said.  
**

"Yes it was!" Spider-Man said.

"That's what being a team is all about. If I was a teacher, I'd definitely give them a pass." Cap said.

"You'd be crazy not to." Hawkeye said.

 **Ruby continued to smile as the faint sounds of an audience clapping were heard, growing louder and louder as a familiar voice was heard.**

* * *

 **"Russel Thrush. Cardin Winchester. Dove Bronzewing. Sky Lark." Ozpin listed as the screen of the auditorium showed each of their profiles as the boys were lined up for the applauding audience to see as Ozpin continued. "The four of you retrieved the black bishop pieces. From this day forward, you will work together as Team CRDL, led by... Cardin Winchester!" He decreed.**

"I don't know what it is, but there's something I don't like about those kids." Steve said suspiciously.

"I like the armor, but they do give off that arrogant jerk vibe." Tony said.

 **The audience gave one more wave of ovation, while four students walked up to the stage to take their places in front of the headmaster as their faces filled the screen.**

 **"Jaune Arc. Lie Ren. Pyrrha Nikos. Nora Valkyrie. The four of you retrieved the white rook pieces. From this day forward, you will work together as Team JNPR." He declared.**

 **Amid the clapping, Nora laughed and gave Ren a hug.**

 **"Led by... Jaune Arc!" Ozpin finished.  
**

 **"Huh? L-Led by...?" Jaune asked, surprised.  
**

"Alright, Jaune!" Cap cheered.

"Gotta admit, you were right, Cap. Vomit Boy's not the best, but he's definitely better than we gave him credit for." Widow said.

 **"Congratulations, young man." Ozpin congratulated.  
**

 **A grinning Pyrrha offered a friendly shoulder bump to Jaune, but her "fine leader" was knocked over and fell to his butt in front of the laughing audience.**

"But, he's still got A LONG way to go." Hawkeye said.

"Indeed. Still, with his superior strategies, he could lead their team to many victories!" Thor said.

"Yeah. Your daughter's got a good team." Hulk taunted again.

"HULK!" Thor shouted.

 **"And finally: Blake Belladonna. Ruby Rose. Weiss Schnee. Yang Xiao Long." Ozpin listed again as he motioned over the four as they stood before him. "The four of you retrieved the white knight pieces. From this day forward, you will work together as Team RWBY. Led by... Ruby Rose!" He announced.  
**

 **Weiss looked to her right surprised, where Ruby was obviously in shock as Yang went over to hug her sister.**

 **"I'm so proud of you!" Yang said happily.**

"Me, too! Great work, Ruby!" Spider-Man said.

"Team RWBY. Hearing it out loud, it has a good ring to it." Cap said approvingly.

"I see those girls going far together." Tony said.

"Even if Weiss is a total brat." Hulk said.

 **"It looks like things are shaping up to be an... interesting year."** **Ozpin said amid the last round of cheers.**

 **The camera panned over the auditorium's structure until it escaped into the open sky and showed the scattering crescent moon amid the day's clouds...**

"Oh, this can't be good." Cap said.

"They ALWAYS shift to the bad guy at times like this." Hawkeye agreed.

* * *

 **... before going into the night and seeing the moon through a window, providing a view to the outside for a shadowy room filled with shelves and a desk in the back, where Roman Torchwick was getting a call on his phone. The muffled conversation ended and Roman angrily slammed the phone down, sighing. He held a cigar to his mouth and put his symbolized lighter to the end, just as a man in a gray mask and black hood came with a trolley. Roman held out a collection of Lien, which he placed on the table and the man took.**

"That's their money? It looks like credit cards." Tony said.

"You'd know about that." Widow said with a smirk.

"Hey, I'm a billionaire, I need options." Tony said.

 **"Open it." Roman ordered.  
**

 **The masked man did so with a crowbar, revealing a large amount of Dust crystals of varying colors - orange, blue, white, red, green, cyan, gold, yellow, and more. Roman picked up a blue gem in his hand and looked at the loot.**

"That's a lot of dust." Cap said.

"And whatever they've got planned for it CAN'T be good." Spider-Man said.

"My best guess, he's aiming to start a war with somebody." Hawkeye said.

 **"We're gonna need more men..." He decided.  
**

 **The view zoomsed in on the map above the desk, showing Vale and various districts and areas of crossed-out locations, labeled for cops and dumb cops, all leading into a specially-circled place - Beacon - as the scene set to black.**

* * *

"Damn. If he is starting a war, it's gonna be with Beacon." Cap said.

"Not smart, but with enough men and that much Dust, it may just be a war he can win." Tony said.

"But did he really have to label 'cops' and 'dumb cops'?" Natasha asked.

"Oh, it happens more often than you'd think. I see something like that EVERY time I see an evil viallain's map." Spider-Man said.

"Well, it's gonna be a mistake to mess with that school with Team RWBY and JNPR there." Hawkeye said.

"Yeah! Yang will smash 'em good!" Hulk said, smirking at Thor. "And your daughter can knock them around with her hammer." He said.

Thor growled, but calmed down. "Yes, I do believe young Nora and the others will be able to handle those fiends when the time comes." He said.

"Well, let's see what happens next." Widow said, starting the next episode.

* * *

 **A/N: Hello, all my wonderful fans! I hope you enjoyed the chapter. I did my best with the reactions this time, but to me, this doesn't feel like my best work. But what do you think?**

 **Team RWBY has FINALLY been formed and the story can really get under way now. Let's see how the Avengers react to the tension between Ruby and Weiss in the next episode, or how they'll feel about Team CRDL as they pick on Jaune. And what will they think of Jaune's secret? Only time will tell.**

 **And remember, returning fans and newcomers alike, I have issued a challenge of having Class 1-A Watch RWBY, possibly with All Might and Izawa, but that's up to you. How will they think of a world so much like theirs, yet so different at the same time? Will Izuku analyze everyone like he does with heroes? What will Bakugo think of Yang, a girl just like him in so many ways. What will Todoroki think when Weiss busts out the ice? How many times will the girls beat Mineta for being a perv? I leave all these answers in your hands.**

 **But that's the end of this chapter. I hope you all enjoy it and come back for more next time!**


	11. Episode 6: The Badge and The Burden

"Alright. Time for the next episode." Widow said, starting it.

* * *

 **We see a window overlooking Beacon Academy from the new room of Team RWBY, panning over to Weiss sleeping soundly in her bed. Her eyes fluttered open and she stretched her arms above herself, yawning, while Ruby, dressed in her strangely-colored school uniform, crept up on her side and suddenly blew a whistle, causing Weiss to fall off the bed.**

"That's one way to wake someone up." Hawkeye said.

"It's how we were woken up in training camp." Cap said.

"Yeah, well don't think about bringing it back any time soon." Tony said.

 **"Good morning, team RWBY!"** **Ruby cheered.**

 **"What in the world is wrong with you?"** **Weiss demanded from the floor.**

 **"Now that you're awake, we can officially begin our first order of business."** **Ruby explained, ignoring the question.**

"Good. Getting right to business. That's the mark of a good leader." Cap said.

"Actually, studies have proved you shouldn't do too much activity right after waking up. You shouldn't even make your bed right when you get out of it." Tony corrected.

"Wow, really? Good thing I never make my bed." Spider-Man said.

 **"Excuse me?"** ** **Weiss asked, getting up and brushing herself off.****

 **"Decorating!"** **Yang said happily, holding a collection of objects - pillows, pamphlets, a candle-holder - in her arms, also dressed alongside Blake.**

"Really? Decorating's the first order of business?" Natasha said, raising an eyebrow.

"But of course! They have a new room! They must determine what space belongs to who!" Thor said.

"Yeah. Decorating was our first move when we moved into the tower." Hulk said, remembering how he spent his first whole day of moving in setting up his glass figurines.

 **"What?!" Weiss demanded again.  
**

 **"We still have to unpack."** ** **Blake explained, lifting her suitcase, which** opened, spilling its contents. "Aaaand clean." She added.  
**

 **Weiss did not look enthusiastic, especially when Ruby knocked her back again with the blow of her whistle.**

"Blake needs a new suitcase." Widow said.

"And Ruby needs to stop blowing that whistle. Once is enough." Cap said.

 **"Aaaalright! Weiss, Blake, Yang and their fearless leader Ruby have begun their first mission!" She announced, raising her fist into the air. "Banzai!" She cheered.  
**

"Does decorating really count as a mission?" Hawkeye said.

"It IS important, so I'd say it's mission worthy." Cap confirmed.

 **Blake and Yang appear at their leader's side and do the same. "Banzai!" They cheered with Ruby and turn at an angle as Weiss laid on the floor and upbeat montage music started playing.**

"I like this cheer! Banzai!" Thor cheered, raising Mjolnir.

 **Yang placed a poster of six guys in various poses named "THE ACHIEVE MEN" on her part of the room. Weiss positioned the painting of the Forever Fall forest to perfection and walked away.**

"Nice painting." Widow said.

 **Blake was busy putting away her books on the shelves, picking up a copy of Ninjas of Love and widening her eyes as she warily looked around before putting it back.**

"Why would she not put the book with the others?" Thor asked.

"Probably not safe for school. Smut or something, I'd guess." Hawkeye said.

"What's smut?" Spider-Man asked.

"Tell you when you're older." Tony said teasingly.

 **Ruby positioned Crescent Rose at an exact angle against the curtains so she could perfectly slash a diagonal portion off** (The Avengers chuckles at this). **A quick zoom around the room (and the repaired curtains) ended with the girls admiring their handiwork... with one problem. The beds were cramped together in the center of the floor.**

"How did they not notice that?!" Widow asked.

 **"This isn't going to work." Weiss said.  
**

 **"It is a bit cramped." Blake admitted.  
**

 **"Maybe we should ditch some of our stuff..." Yang suggested.  
**

 **"Or we could ditch the beds... and replace them with bunk beds!" Ruby gave her own suggestion.  
**

"What, can they just order new beds?" Spider-Man asked.

"I think they're just going to stack them on top of each other." Tony guessed.

"That's a very dangerous idea." Cap said.

"But if it works right, it could be efficient." Widow said.

"I think it sounds awesome. I loved having bunk beds as a kid." Hawkeye said.

 **"Umm, that sounds incredibly dangerous." Weiss said.**

"Thank you." Cap said.

 **"And super-awesome!" Yang said eagerly.  
**

"Ha! Thank you, blondie!" Hawkeye laughed.

 **"It does seem efficient." Blake agreed.  
**

Natasha smirked at this.

 **"Well, we should put it to a vote!" Weiss suggested.  
**

 **"I think we just did." Ruby said.  
**

 **To the sounds of two dings and a single buzz, Blake thumbs upped the idea, Yang made a double-rocker gesture, and Weiss angrily curled her fists at her side.**

"Looks like they're getting bunk beds." Hulk said.

 **Decided, they rushed at the beds, where sounds of jackhammering and sawing were heard until they gathered back at the front of the room.**

 **"Objective: Complete!" Ruby said proudly.  
**

 **While Weiss' bed was simply on the ground next to her art and luggage, Blake's bed was next to her books, which were used to raise Yang's bed over it by placing the novels on the posts, and Ruby's was hanging from ropes on the ceiling with a blanket used as a tent over it.**

"That SCREAMS safety hazard." Cap said.

"Definitely not what I had in mind." Widow agreed.

"I don't know. I think it's pretty cool. I'd love to have a bed hanging up like that." Spider-Man said.

 **"Allllright! Our second order of business iiiiiiiis...!" Ruby said dramatically as the room spun until she landed on her bed and a book landed in her lap. "Classes..." She said glumly as she pulled out a pencil. "Now, we have a few classes together today. At 9, we've got to be-" She started.  
**

 **"What?! Did you say 9 o'clock?" Weiss asked.  
**

 **"Uuuum..." Ruby said.  
**

 **"It's 8:55, you dunce!" Weiss explained and was the first rushing out of the room and down the hall, the members of RWBY and JNPR peeking out from their doorways to look at her go.**

"Yep. I remember rushing to get to class on time QUITE often." Spider-Man said.

"Not me. I'd show up to just about every class halfway through it." Tony said.

"Of course you did. And you still managed to graduate with top honors." Hawkeye said, rolling his eyes. "Uncool and unfair." Hawkeye said.

 **Ruby was flabbergasted until she decided. "To class!" She announced as she ran out, followed by Yang and Blake.**

 **"Class...?" Jaune asked, losing his balance and ended up toppling Nora, Pyrrha and Ren on top of him. He managed to get out from under them and start dashing. "We're gonna be late!" He said worriedly.**

 **In the courtyard, Professor Ozpin and Glynda watched the two teams hurried through the school. Glynda looked at her watch and Ozpin simply sipped his coffee.**

"They're pretty chill about students running late." Peter said.

"If they stopped them now, they WOULD be late." Cap said.

"Besides, these kids can run like 100 miles per hour. Getting to class on time should be easy for them." Natasha said.

* * *

 **The sight of an axe-blunderbuss weapon panned down to the boards displaying various species of Grimm - King Taijitu, Death Stalker, Beowolf, Boarbatusk, Nevermore and Ursa - behind an elderly teacher named Peter Port.**

"Oh, nice. We finally know what each Grimm is called." Tony said.

"Who cares what they're called? It doesn't matter when you smash 'em!" Hulk said.

"We've seen all of these except that Boarbetusk thing so far." Spider-Man said.

"Maybe it'll be appearing soon." Cap suggested.

 **"Monsters! Deeeemons... Prowlers of the night! Yes, the creatures of Grimm have many names, but I merely refer to them as prey! Ha-ha!" Port laughed.  
**

Most of the Avengers were silent, looking between each other, but Thor stood up. "Ha ha! Yes! Think of them not as monsters, but as your prey for you to hunt and conquer!" He laughed, raising Mjolnir.

"So... That's a joke?" Clint asked.

"If it is, it's not a good one." Widow said.

"I don't get it..." Hulk said.

 **The members of RWBY, seated on the front row, were in varying stages of interest; Blake and Yang were sitting up and paying attention, Weiss was taking notes and Ruby had her head propped in her hand as she took a quick nap until she was woken back up by Port's bad joke, which received a cricket-filled silence as a result.**

 **"Uhhhh... And you shall too, upon graduating from this prestigious academy! Now, as I was saying: Vale, as well as the other three kingdoms, are safe havens in an otherwise treacherous world! Our planet is absolutely teeming with creatures that would love nothing more than to tear you to pieces! And that's where we come in. Huntsmen! Huntresses..." He said, stopping and giving Yang a wink, which she groaned** **uncomfortably at.**

"Someone arrest this man RIGHT NOW." Widow said.

"Yeah, that's not okay." Spider-Man said.

"We already told Tony and Junior she's too young. She's still too young and you're WAY too old!" Hulk growled.

 **"Individuals who have sworn to protect those who cannot protect themselves! From what, you ask? Why, the very world!" He finished.  
**

"Yeah, no pressure there." Tony said sarcastically.

"It's a bit much to lay on them, but it is what they signed up for." Steve said.

 **"Ayyyy-yep!"** ** **A random student cheered as he stood up and raised his fist. He** stood like this for a moment as everyone looked at him strangely before sitting down, embarrassed. **

**"That is what you are training to become. But first: A story. A tale of a young, handsome man... Me! When I was a boy..." He started a new story.  
**

 **His words faded into the background and became a series of "blah"s, when Weiss noticed Ruby was very focused on penciling the paper in front of her.**

"Hey, he's like the Peanut's teacher!" Hawkeye laughed.

"Now if only we never saw him like the Peanut's teacher." Tony said.

"Who are the Peanuts?" Peter asked.

"WAY before your time, buddy." Hulk said.

 **"...Despite smelling of cabbages, my grandfather was a wise man. 'Peter', he told me..." The professor continued.  
**

 **The speech evolved into more "blah"s as Ruby chuckled at her creation and showed it to her teammates: a ball-with-limbs-and-a-head drawing of the teacher with stink lines coming from him and "Professor Poop" written underneath. Ruby blew a quick raspberry. Blake and Yang laughed, but Weiss looked annoyed.**

"A work of art." Widow said with a smirk.

"She should respect her elders and pay attention in class." Cap said disapprovingly.

"Respect that guy? I don't think so." Hawkeye said.

"Besides, she's got 3 teammates to copy off of." Tony said.

"Copying and not doing your own work is even worse!" Cap said.

"Oh, come on, Cap! Sometimes you need to copy off others. I had to copy almost everything for Agent Venom in Fury's hero school. And he still almost failed." Peter said.

 **"Ah-heh-hem!" Port cleared his throat to get them to focus. He waited until he had their attention again. "In the end, the Beowolf was no match for my sheer tenacity, and I returned to my village with the beast in captivity and my head held high, celebrated as a hero!" He boasted and finished his story.  
**

"Beowulf? As in one? Didn't Ruby take out like a hundred the very first time we saw her?" Clint asked.

"At least 50." Widow confirmed.

"True. This teacher is not as impressive as I believed him to be." Thor said.

 **The teacher took a bow as Weiss slowly got more and more frustrated with Ruby's antics. "The moral of this story? A true Huntsman must be honorable!" He said as Ruby was balancing an apple on a book with her pencil held only by her finger while making a silly face.**

 **"A true Huntsman must be dependable!" He continued. Ruby had fallen asleep again in the first class of the year.**

 **"A true Huntsman must be strategic, well-educated, and wise!" He finished... while Ruby was not-so-subtly picking her nose, much to Weiss' building anger.**

"For once, I can agree with Weiss. Ruby's definitely not acting like a Huntsman should." Cap said.

"You mean, according to an arrogant Pedophile?" Tony asked.

"She's a kid. She's acting how kids act. Nothing wrong with that." Spider-Man said.

"Yeah. I guarantee I did all the stuff she did in class and still passed. Easily." Tony said.

 **"So, who among you believes themselves to be the embodiment of these traits?" He asked.  
**

 **Weiss, still angry, raised her hand. "I do, sir!" She called out.  
**

"Hm... I don't know. I wouldn't call her honorable." Clint said.

"And getting lost in the middle of the forest ain't to wise." Hulk said.

"Plus, if she was so well-educated, she wouldn't have been shaking that Dust in Ruby's face." Widow added.

 **"Well, then, let's find out!" He said as he turned to gesture at the glowing red eyes surrounded by shadow shaking the cage that trapped it. "Step forward, and face your opponent!" He instructed.  
**

 **The unknown monster continued to growl as the scene cut to black.**

"Wait, so he has a Grimm in the middle of a school?" Tony asked.

"That's even less safe that RWBY's bunk beds." Cap said.

"The girl or the team?" Peter asked.

"Both." Cap confirmed.

"Nonsense, Captain! Having such creatures available at school provides an excellent opportunity to fight the beasts!" Thor said.

"Either way, let's so how Weiss does fight the beast." Widow said as the second part of the episode played.

 **The scene returned with Weiss, now back in her regular attire, readying her Myrtenaster at the growling creature in the cage barely seen at the end of the last episode. Her teammates cheered her on from their seats in the front row.**

 **"Goooo, Weiss!"** ** **Yang cheered, raising her fist.****

 **"Fight well!"** **Blake cheered as well, waving a small flag saying "RWBY".**

The Avengers chuckled at the sight of the flag. "Already merchandising. These girls are on the right track. Next stop: T-shirts, mugs and figurines." Tony said.

"Tony, not everything is about marketing." Cap said.

"Hey, they gotta pay for their ammo somehow. Well, except Weiss, but still." Hawkeye said.

 **"Yeah, represent Teeeeam RWBY!" Ruby cried out to her partner.  
**

 **"Ruby! I'm trying to focus!"** **Weiss snapped, lowering her sword and looking over at her "leader".**

 **"Oh, um... Sorry..."** **Ruby apologized, looking sheepish.**

"Okay, so she wasn't being the perfect student, but you don't have to snap at her." Spider-Man said.

"Yeah! She was cheering for you, ya brat!" Hulk snapped.

 **"Allllright!" Port shouted next to the cage, pulling out his axe. "Let the match... begin!" He announced.**

 **The professor swung down and broke the lock, dropping the cage door and revealing the Boarbatusk inside, which immediately charged at Weiss. She used Myrtenaster to deflect its attack and rolled to the side, readying herself for its next move. The Grimm stood a distance away from its enemy, studying her.**

 **"Ha-ha! Wasn't expecting that, were you?" He asked.  
**

 **"Hang in there, Weiss!" Ruby said encouragingly.  
**

"There we go. Now we've seen the Boarbetusk." Tony said.

"Ha! It reminds me of the wild boar hunts of Asgard!" Thor cheered.

"Ugh. Don't remind me." Spider-Man said, remembering the time Loki turned him into a pig.

"It looks like it's body is mostly armored. She'll have to either strike underneath it or strike in between its plates, which her sword would be good for." Cap analyzed.

 **Weiss was now speeding towards the oncoming Boarbatusk, sticking her blade straight at its skull until they met and Myrtenaster was trapped in the beast's tusks. Weiss was still hanging on to the hilt and was tossed around as she struggled to get the rapier back.**

 **"Bold, new approach. I like it!" Port praised.  
**

"I don't. Charging that thing head-on is just stupid. Maybe if it was Yang, but not Weiss." Hawkeye said.

"It looks like she was going to stab it right in the head. Unless she was going for the eyes, there's nothing she could've done there." Widow added.

"Or if she was going to use Dust, but that didn't look like the case." Spider-Man said.

 **"Come on, Weiss, show it who's boss!" Ruby cheered.  
**

 **Weiss turned to glare at Ruby, only for the Boarbatusk to turn its head and rip the sword from her grip. Myrtenaster landed far away from its master, who was knocked back by the creature's tusks.**

"Ha! That's what ya get for looking away from the enemy!" Hulk said.

"This is a good lesson. Distractions can happen in the field. She needs to learn to ignore those." Cap said.

 **"Oh-ho! Now what will you do without your weapon?" Port questioned.  
**

 **Weiss looked up just in time to see the Boarbatusk charge again, rolling out of the way just in time to avoid getting trampled and made it crash into a desk. Weiss rushed at her sword and slid to get it back in her hand.**

 **"Weiss! Go for its belly! There's no armor underneath-" Ruby offered.  
**

 **"Stop telling me what to do!"** **Weiss snapped, turning to Ruby.**

"She's just trying to help!" Spider-Man snapped.

"And that was actual helpful advice. That's not something you just ignore." Cap added.

"Besides, telling her what to do is what a leader does." Tony said.

 **Ruby looked hurt at Weiss' rebuttal. Meanwhile, the Boarbatusk leapt into the air and rolled into a ball, spinning rapidly in the air and landing on the ground, consistently gaining speed until it launched itself at Weiss. It came closer and closer, but Weiss activated one of her blue-white circles and blocked the roll, leaping up into the now-black snowflake symbol and turning it blue again so she could drive the blade into the Boarbatusk's stomach. It squealed and fell silent while Weiss gasped in relief.**

"I wanted it to trample her." Hulk grumbled.

"Young Weiss certainly has an attitude problem, but she's proven to be a capable warrior." Thor said.

 **"Bravo! Bra-vo! It appears we are indeed in the presence of a true Huntress-in-training!" Port praised as Weiss stood up at attention from her exhausted position and Ruby continued to frown. "I'm afraid that's all the time we have for today. Be sure to cover the assigned readings, and... stay vigilant! Class dismissed!" He announced.  
**

 **Weiss glared and turned away, walking hurriedly to the exit past her teammates.**

 **"Sheesh, what's with her?"** **Jaune asked as he watched her leave.**

"She's a rich brat that needs an attitude adjustment." Hulk said.

"She's angry with how Ruby's acting, but throwing a temper tantrum like she did is no better." Cap said.

"She's a rich brat. Throwing tantrums like that is probably how she got everything." Hawkeye said.

 **The remaining members of Team RWBY looked at each other with the same question.**

* * *

 **Weiss was still storming off, but Ruby turned a corner and managed to catch up with her.**

 **"Weiss!" Ruby called.  
**

 **"What?"** **Weiss demanded, turning around.**

 **"What's wrong with you? Why are you being-?" Ruby started to ask, before Weiss cut her off.  
**

 **"What's wrong with me? What's wrong with you? You're supposed to be a leader, and all you've been so far is a nuisance!" Weiss ranted.**

 **Ruby scoffed. "What did I do?" She asked.  
**

 **"That's just it - you've done nothing to earn your position! Back in the forest, you acted like a child, and you've only continued to do so!" Weiss continued to rant.  
**

"What?! She's done everything to earn her position! She got you out of the woods and came up with the plan to take out the Nevermore. You're still alive because of her!" Peter snapped.

"Besides, you don't have to suddenly turn into the perfect, emotionless, strategic warrior to be a leader. She's a kid. Let her have fun. Cap's DEFINITELY not the perfect leader, but we listen to him." Tony said.

Cap looked at him, raising a brow. "I don't know whether to thank you or punch you." He said.

 **"Weiss, where is this coming from? What happened to all the talk about 'working together'? I thought you believed in acting as a team." Ruby said.  
**

 **"Not a team led by you. I've studied and trained. And quite frankly, I deserve better." Weiss said as she turned her back to Ruby, who tried to reach out but dropped her hand with the following words. "Ozpin made a mistake." She said as walked away as Ruby looked dejected.**

"The only thing she deserves is a spanking." Widow said.

"Yeah. For all that studying and training, it didn't seem to do a lot of good when she throws exploding Dust in people's faces, gets lost in the woods and has to correct her footwork in the middle of a fight." Hawkeye said.

 **"Hmm... Now that didn't seem to go very well."** **Ozpin said, standing right behind a surprised Ruby with a coffee in one hand and his cane in the other.**

 **"Is she right? Did you make a mistake?"** **Ruby asked, looking doubtful, even on the verge of tears.**

 **Ozpin laughed slightly. "That remains to be seen." He said.  
**

"Does everyone seem to be forgetting she's the only reason A GIANT BIRD didn't eat her team?" Spider-Man said.

"One victory doesn't change everything, Spider-Man. And she certainly could be more mature, but yes, Weiss is definitely being too hard on her." Cap said.

"Spidey's not mature, but the web warriors listen to him." Hulk said.

"Thanks... Hey!" Peter said indignantly.

* * *

 **Weiss was still walking around the halls until she came across a balcony where Professor Port was watching the sunset over Beacon Academy's rooftops.**

 **"Professor Port!"** **Weiss called out, approaching him.**

 **"Ah, Miss Schnee! And to what do I owe this fine pleasure?"** **Port asked, turning to look at her.**

 **"I... I enjoyed your lecture!" She said.  
**

 **"Of course you did, child; you have the blood of a true Huntress in you." He praised.  
**

 **"You really think so?"** **Weiss asked, smiling.**

"No." Everyone except Cap and Widow said.

"She's got a future as a HUNTRESS, just not a leader like she wants to be." Widow said.

"She's got a ways to go and NEEDS to fix that attitude, but she still has potential. If she's ACTUALLY willing to work with her team." Cap said.

 **"Most surely!" He confirmed, before he noticed Weiss' small frown and lack of eye contact. "Hmm... Something's troubling you." He stated.  
**

 **"Yes, sir..." She admitted.  
**

 **"Dear girl, confess to me your strife!" He offered.  
**

 **"Well... I-I think I should have been the leader of Team RWBY!" She admitted.  
**

 **Port was silent for a moment until he spoke. "That's preposterous!" He said.  
**

"HA!" Everyone laughed again.

* * *

 **"What do you mean?" Ruby asked.  
**

 **"I mean, it's only been one day. Ruby... I've made more mistakes than any man, woman, and child on this planet. But at this moment, I would not consider your appointment to leader to be one of them." Ozpin assured her, leaning in so he could look more directly at Ruby. "Do you?" He asked.  
**

"No! She's an awesome leader!" Hulk shouted.

"Indeed! Young Ruby is a fearsome fighter, in both skill and strategy. Excellent qualities for a leader!" Thor agreed.

"She's got some growing to do, but she's definitely one of the better leaders I've seen." Tony said.

* * *

 **"Excuse me?!"** ** **Weiss demanded, now getting angry.****

 **"I've believed in Professor Ozpin for many years, and the man's never once led me astray!" Port explained.  
**

 **"So you would just blindly accept his decision even after seeing how exceptional I am?" Weiss questioned.  
**

 **"With all due respect, your exceptional skill on the battlefield is matched only by your poor attitude." Port explained.  
**

"Hit the nail on the head." Spider-Man said.

 **"How dare you!"** **Weiss snapped, seething now.**

 **"My point exactly. I see a girl before me who has spent her entire life getting exactly what she wanted." Port explained.  
**

 **"That's not even remotely true!"** ** **Weiss snapped, crossing her arms, looking defiant, but** under the teacher's gaze, she reluctantly relented. "Well... not entirely true." She admitted. **

"Ah. The rich kid gets everything argument. Heard it a million times before." Tony said. Everyone assumed everything was just given to him, but in reality, he truly has worked hard to get where he is today.

* * *

 **"Being a team leader isn't just a title you carry into battle, but a badge you wear constantly. If you're not always performing at your absolute best, then what reason do you give others to follow you?" Ozpin asked.  
**

"Always be at your best. Words to live by." Cap said approvingly.

"Come on. Is anyone really at their best all the time? I mean, I am, but not everyone's so gifted." Hawkeye said.

"I think you're only at your best when you're not talking." Natasha said.

 **Ruby looked thoughtful with Ozpin's words, then smiled at him.**

* * *

 **"So the outcome did not fall in your favor. Do you really believe that acting in such a manner would cause those in power to reconsider their decision?" He asked as Weiss finally calmed down and looked at him again.**

"That's a good point. Definitely worth thinking about." Spider-Man agreed.

"If anything, they'd reconsider their decision to have her attend their school." Tony said.

 **"So instead of fretting about what you don't have, savor what you do. Hone your skills, perfect every technique, and be not the best leader, but the best person you can be." Port explained wisely.  
**

 **Weiss smiled a little at the words of wisdom.**

"Not bad... for a perv." Widow said.

"Maybe the guy really does know what he's talking about." Hawkeye said.

* * *

 **"You've been burdened with a daunting responsibility, Ruby. I advise you take some time, to think about how you will uphold it."** **Ozpin explained, turning back on Ruby, still talking to her.**

"She should take things a bit more seriously, but she doesn't have to completely change herself. That girl's gonna go far." Cap said.

"No one ever said leaders can't have fun." Tony said.

 **Ruby, with a last look of consideration, turned and walked away. She came to the balcony where Port was walking away from Weiss and smiled a little at her partner.**

"If they both change just a little, become better versions of themselves, they'll both go far... together." Widow said.

"I like the sound of that." Spider-Man said.

* * *

 **The full moon shined over the green lights of Beacon, and in the room of Team RWBY, the door opened and Weiss' shadow was seen against the hall's light. Blake was sleeping under the covers, Yang was spread out on her bed and snoring and when Weiss lifted the blanket of Ruby's tent, she found the occupant with her head resting on notes, a pencil in her hand and open books all around her.**

"Aww, she's all tuckered out." Hulk said.

"Happy now? She's taking it seriously." Tony said to Steve.

"I never said she wasn't taking the homework seriously. Just the classwork." Cap said.

"Working so hard she fell asleep. Amazing determination!" Thor praised.

 **Weiss, looking amazed at Ruby's determination, cleared her throat and gently shook the other girl awake, who took a second to regain consciousness and start flailing in surprise.**

 **"Weiss! I-I was studying, and then I fell asleep! I'm sorry..." Ruby started, before Weiss placed a hand over Ruby's mouth and put a finger to her own so Ruby understood the need for lowering her voice.**

 **Weiss looked near Ruby's pillow and spotted an empty Beacon coffee mug.**

"It's a little late for coffee." Widow said.

"Natasha, if there's one thing I've learned when you're working hard, it is never too early or too late for coffee." Tony said.

 **"How do you take your coffee?"** **She asked, lowering her hand.**

 **"I... I don't..." Ruby stammered.  
**

 **"Answer the question!"** **Weiss said, getting irritated.**

 **"Uhh, cream and five sugars!"Ruby finally answered.  
**

"That, however, is overdoing it." Tony said.

"No one needs that much sugar." Peter said.

"Only five sugars? I go 20!" Hulk said.

"Except the Hulk." Hawkeye said, slightly deadpanned.

 **Weiss sighed. "Don't move." She instructed as she ducked under to her own bed and came up a moment later with a fresh cup, offering it to Ruby. "Here." She offered.  
**

 **"Um... Thanks, Weiss."Ruby said, surprised.  
**

"Good. She's willing to try to work together and be nice." Cap said.

"Two warriors putting aside their differences and becoming friends. No moment is sweeter." Thor said.

 **Weiss smiled, then looked apologetic. "Ruby, I think you have what it takes to be a good leader." She admitted as Ruby smiled appreciatively. "Just know that I am going to be the best teammate you'll ever have!" She said as they shared a smile. "Good luck studying!" She said as she ducked under, only to come up and point at one of Ruby's papers.**

"They're gonna go far together." Tony said.

 **"That's wrong, by the way." She said as she ducked under again and her voice came from the doorway this time.**

"But they've still got a long way to go." Cap said, rolling his eyes.

 **"Hey, Ruby?" She said once more.  
**

 **"Uh-huh?" Ruby asked.  
**

 **Weiss stood in the door with her hand on the knob. "I always wanted bunk beds as a kid." She said as she started to close the door.**

"Huh. So she has siblings." Spider-Man said.

"Hope they aren't as bad as her." Hulk said.

"If they ever got those bunk beds, I hope they're safer than the ones they have now." Widow said.

"I don't know, I wouldn't mind trying those." Hawkeye said.

 **Ruby, grinning at the progress with her friend, went back to her notes as scene faded to black.**

"That was a nice ending." Spider-Man said.

"It had good messages, too: you can't always get what you want, be thankful for what you have and you can always improve." Cap said.

"And we witnessed Weiss slay a mighty boar!" Thor cheered.

"It knocked her around a bit, so I guess she got what she deserved. And she learned by the end." Hulk said.

"That teacher was a little... iffy, but in the end, he wasn't so bad." Widow said.

"Yeah. Everyone was a better person by the end. Let's see how much better they get next time." Tony said.

"Before you do that..." A new voice rang out as a figure appeared in the middle of the room, shocking everyone.

"Loki!" Thor shouted at his smirking brother.

* * *

 **A/N: Finally! There's another chapter done. Sorry for making you guys wait. It took longer than I meant for it to, but I hope you enjoy it. What will happen next time? Why is Loki here?! What does he want?! Find out next time!**

 **Also, good news! Someone has already accepted the Class 1-A watches RWBY challenge! Keep an eye out for it!**


	12. Bonus! OMM: Ruby vs Spider-Man

The Avengers stood up and faced Loki, more than ready to fight. Spider-Man had his arms out, ready to web the trickster, Captain America, Hawkeye and Black Widow readied their respective weapons, Thor called Mjolnir to his hand, a suit had flown in and encased Tony and Hulk was cracking his neck and knuckles. "You made a bad move coming here, Loki." Tony said, raising a hand and readying a missile.

However, the god of mischief raised his hands in surrender. "Now, now, let's not resort to violence. I did not come here for a fight." He said.

"I say we smash him anyway!" Hulk snapped, but Thor put a hand up to stop him.

"If you do not wish to fight, then speak your business, brother." The god of thunder ordered.

"My brother being the civil one. Quite the surprise." Loki said.

"Get to the point before my arrow does, ram boy." Clint warned, drawing back his arrow further.

"No sense of drama or theatrics." The Prince of Lies sighed, shaking his head and rolling his eyes. "You see, as I continued to peer through different realms, I also discovered some alternate worlds and found something I thought you'd all find rather interesting." He explained, holding up an orb, which produced an image that shocked the Avengers.

Spider-Man was facing off against none other than Ruby Rose. "What?! There's a world were Ruby and I are on the same world?! And why are we fighting?" Peter asked.

"Honestly, I haven't checked yet. I thought I'd share the suspense with my dear brother and his friends." Loki explained, although there was clear sarcasm when he said "dear brother".

"What do you think, guys? Can we trust him?" Hawkeye asked.

"You should know the answer to that by now." Widow said.

"Still, I'd be lying if I said I didn't want to see this." Tony said.

"How about we just smash him and watch it ourselves?" Hulk asked.

Cap sighed. "He came here peacefully and offered us a chance to watch it together." He said, turning to their adversary. "Loki, if you can behave yourself, you're welcome to stay. At least until this video, or whatever you'd call this, is over." He said.

"How hospitable." Loki said with slight sarcasm, setting the orb down on a table in the center of a room, projecting an image about as big as the TV they'd previously been watching RWBY on.

 **Ruby Rose is running through the streets of New York with Crescent Rose at the ready, when suddenly, Spider-Man dropped down in her path on a web line, upside-down. "Hi there!" He said.**

 **This startled the young girl and brought her to a stop. "Huh?" She asked.**

 **"That weapon of yours seems very dangerous. The combination of a scythe and a rifle..." He explained.**

"How could he tell there was a rifle in there?! I didn't even know until she came out and told us." Peter said.

"By 'he', you mean YOU?" Widow asked, looking at the younger hero.

"Let's not play the pronoun game. We'd never get to the end of this." Hawkeye said.

 **"Wandering around in a public place... I'm afraid I must stow your toy away, missy." Spider-Man told her.**

"Stealing from a child? A young girl, no less? For shame, Spider-Man." Loki teased.

"Not cool, man. Not cool." Hulk agreed.

"Hey, it's not me, it's... Well, it is me, but a different me, not the one sitting here!" Peter said, panicked.

"He has a point, though. Something like that is definitely not something she should be running around the city with." Cap said.

"Oh, come on. It's New York. One of the most dangerous cities in the world. She needs protection. She could have all the weapons of Team RWBY and she still wouldn't be safe." Tony said.

 **Ruby was having none of this, however. "No way, mister! Crescent Rose stays with me!" She said, slinging the scythe over her shoulder and pointing at Spider-Man.**

 **"Oh great, you named it..." Spider-Man said, rubbing the back of his head. He knew from experience people who named their weapons are never willing to part with them and will fight to keep them.**

"Well, she did build it herself, to be fair. That's like asking Tony to get rid of his Iron Man suits." Widow said.

"Never!" Tony said, hugging the suit he recently exited.

"You ain't getting that scythe away from her the easy way, Spidey." Hawkeye said.

"Why is it never easy?" Peter groaned.

 **"Oh, well. Gotta do this the ol' fashioned way..." He said, taking his stance.**

"Yes! Commence the battle between warriors!" Thor cheered.

"Get him, Ruby!" Hulk cheered.

"Hey! Who's side are you on?!" Peter snapped.

"You're the one that started the fight." Hulk said.

"Ha! For once, you're the villain, Spider-Man!" Loki laughed.

 **FIGHT!**

 **Ruby rushed in first, swinging away at the Wall Crawler with her scythe, but thanks to his Spider Sense and quick reflexes, he easily dodged all the attacks, leaning back and knocking Ruby into the air with a backflip kick, attaching a web line to her and reeling himself in, unleashing a powerful aerial combo on the girl, knocking her to the ground, landing himself and attaching another web line to her, swinging her around and over himself, slamming her to the ground once again.  
**

"Hey! Take it easy, other me! She's just a kid!" Peter said.

"Your webs and acrobatics skills do give you a significant advantage in the air. It'll be hard to compete with that." Cap analyzed.

"But don't forget, she's got you beat in speed." Tony said.

 **Ruby managed to recover in mid-air and landed on her feet. Spider-Man fired a couple of webs at her, but she dodged them both with ease and fired a pair of shots at the spider, who matrixed the bullets, webbing the second one and attempting to throw it back at her, but she had used this time to close the distance, dodge the returned projectile and started landing her own vicious combo on the hero.  
**

"Ouch, that's gotta hurt." Hawkeye said.

"She may have jabbed you with the spike at the bottom, but after that it looked like she used the back of the weapon instead of the blade so she wouldn't kill you... I think at least. It was a little too fast to tell." Widow said.

"Also, I know you can dodge sniper bullets, but no way could you actually catch one and throw it back." Tony said.

"Yeah, even I admit that's a long shot. No pun intended." Peter said.

"Young Ruby is proving to be a worthy foe!" Thor said.

"Indeed, brother. I'm hoping she squashes the spider." Loki said.

 **However, Spider-Man managed to recover, webbing Ruby's feet, flipping over her and webbing her arms to her side, before firing another web line and reeling her with a spin, before sending her flying with an uppercut. Ruby spun through the air, before recovering, switching her scythe to its rifle form and unleashing a hail of bullets on the web swinger, who managed to dodge or swing out of their way. Ruby landed on the ground flew towards Spider-Man, spinning like a drill. He managed to make a web shield to protect himself, but she broke through in and once again unleashed a devastating combo on the spider, slicing and jabbing at him with her scythe.**

"Ouch. Looks like she's done with non lethal." Widow said.

"Guess you were right, Spidey. She is dangerous... to you!" Hulk laughed.

"You should NOT be standing after all those slashes." Tony said.

"Hey, I've gotten a few cuts and scrapes before. No biggie." Peter said.

"But never by something that big." Cap said.

 **However, Spider-Man was eventually able to block her attacks with more web shields and eventually even dodge, allowing him to counterattack and hit her with a MASSIVE combo, a few punches and kicks knocking her her into the air, allowing him to land a swinging kick, hitting her a few times in the air before knocking her to the ground again. However, she recovered and dodged another web line, hitting him again, getting her own small aerial combo and shooting him point blank. This launches them both back, but Ruby recovers first and launches herself back, spinning downwards and slashing Spider-Man several times, before shooting him once more and blasting him back again, sending him to the ground.  
**

"Ouch." Hawkeye said.

"Wow. This fight is close. Each time one of you takes the advantage, the other turns it around." Widow said.

"The only problem with that is while Ruby's only taking blunt force trauma that isn't life-threatening, you're getting cut by a huge scythe or shot point blank by sniper bullets. And she has aura to protect and heal herself. You don't." Tony added.

"That could be trouble." Peter said.

 **"Ouch!" Spider-Man said as he got back up. Ruby began to dash past him several times, shooting or slicing all the while, but again, with his Spider Sense and reflexes, he dodged all her attacks and tagged her with a web line, pulling her off balance, reeling her in for a punch, but she vanished in a flurry of rose petals, appearing behind him and attacking again, but he dodged these as well. She once again turned her weapon into its rifle form and fired at the hero, who dodged the shots and eventually webbed the barrel, shocking Ruby. "Pardon moi!" He taunted as he rushed in, hitting her with one more combo, before using his devastating Crawler Assault and knocking Ruby out with one final flying kick.**

 **K.O!**

"Whew... That was a close one." Peter said.

"A fine match, Spider-Man. Truly a battle to be remembered!" Thor shouted.

"A pity. For a moment, I thought she had you at her mercy." Loki said.

"It still stinks you beat up a girl and you're getting away like nothing happened." Hulk grumbled.

"Hey, I feel bad enough as it." Peter said.

 **Ruby hit the ground, unconscious and Spider-Man landed not to far away, hands on his hips. "Man, that scythe was something..." He said, before hearing a camera click. "Wha..?" He asked, turning to the sound to see Frank West snapping pictures of the event.**

"Ahh! Not him again!" Peter said.

"Who is that?" Loki asked.

"Frank West, infamous reporter who can't keep his big nose out of danger or other people's business." Tony grumbled.

"We have to save him every other week when he's trying to get a scoop on HYDRA, AIM or some other supervillain." Cap said.

 **"Spider-Man knocked a little girl unconscious? Daily Bugle is gonna pay top dollar for this story!" Frank said, running off.**

"OH! You'll be in trouble if that prints!" Hulk said.

"Oh, man! The Bugle already makes people scared of me! If they think I go around knocking out teenage girls, the city'd start a manhunt for me!" Peter said fearfully.

"Better hurry after him!" Hawkeye said with a smirk.

 **"HEY! FRANK! NO, WAIT!" Spider-Man screamed, chasing after the reporter and leaving the unconscious Ruby behind.**

"Really? You just left her unconscious on the ground?" Widow said.

"Yeah, that's NOT okay. I don't even want to BEGIN to think about what could happen to her." Tony said.

"Especially that late at night." Cap added.

"Hey! Again: not really me! Besides, if Frank got those pictures to the Bugle, I wouldn't be able to show my mask in the city again." Spider-Man said.

"You still could've put her some place safe first." Hulk said.

"Yes, I thought you heroes were supposed to protect people above all else." Loki said judgingly.

"Hey, you don't get a say! You're always putting people in danger!" Peter countered.

"I don't know, Spidey. The golden ram has a point." Hawkeye said.

"Speaking of: Loki, you did what you came here to do. Probably about time you get going." Tony said.

"With pleasure. I'd rather not spend more time than I have to with someone who goes around knocking out little girls." Loki said, getting up.

"This is gonna haunt me for a while." Peter groaned, facepalming.

Loki started to leave, before Thor stood up. "Wait, brother." He called out.

"Yes?" Loki asked with a sigh, turning to face him.

"It was nice watching that image with you. We should do it again some time." Thor said.

Loki sighed again and rolled his eyes, but smiled a bit. "Perhaps we'll see." Loki said, before disappearing.

Thor was a bit disappointed by this answer, but still held some hope. "I suppose that's enough." He said, sitting back down.

"Well, with that out of the way, let's see what Ruby gets up to when Spider-Man ISN'T knocking her out." Widow said with a smirk, playing the next episode.

"You guys will NEVER let me live this down, will you?" Peter asked.

"Nope." Hulk said.


	13. Episode 7: Jaunedice

"Well, that was nice, but I think now we can finally stop picking on Spider-Man and start watching RWBY again." Widow said.

"Oh, thank you!" Peter said happily, hugging her.

"Okay, that's enough! Sit down and watch." She said sternly. Everyone took their seats once again and she started the episode.

* * *

 **We see Cardin Winchester with his mace perched on his shoulder and Jaune opposite him with Crocea Mors drawn, leaning on his weapon as if exhausted, in the spotlight shining on the Beacon Academy auditorium stage.**

"Looks like Jaune's fighting someone. And he's not doing to good." Cap said, slightly concerned.

"It looks like that guy who's leading that team of knights. Named after a bird or something. Blue Jay, I think." Tony said.

"Cardinal." Hawkeye corrected.

"Thanks for that, bird brain." Hulk said.

 **He looked at Cardin, who laughed at his opponent's tiredness and Jaune gathered his strength to charge forward and swing his blade at Cardin, only for him to jump out of the way. Jaune looked back, surprised, as Cardin's mace sent Jaune's shield - and himself - flying back.**

"No! Don't just rush in! Especially against an opponent bigger and stronger than you!" Cap instructed.

"You know he can't hear you, right?" Natasha asked.

 **Now only armed with his sword, Jaune continued to try and attack, but was blocked by the mace's hilt. Their weapons locked, Cardin forced himself up, towering over a struggling Jaune.**

"The other guy's way stronger. Jaune can't compete with him physically." Spider-Man said. He knew ALL ABOUT fighting people stronger than him.

"Duh. The other guy's at least a foot taller." Hulk said.

 **"This is the part where you lose." Cardin said  
**

 **"Over my dead-!" Jaune started, but was cut short as Cardin kneed him in the gut, making Jaune drop his sword and fall to the ground in pain.**

"A low blow. A coward's tactic!" Thor snapped.

"It's effective." Widow said, having used such techniques a good number of times.

 **Cardin raised his mace and was about to slam it down on a worried Jaune just when the buzzer rang, the lights came back on and Glynda's voice caused him to stop. "Cardin, that's enough!" She shouted. He relented and walked away as she came onto the stage, tapping her tablet.**

"He wouldn't have stopped if she didn't tell him to." Cap said with a glare.

"No doubt about it, this guy's trouble." Hawkeye agreed.

 **"Students, as you can see, Mr. Arc's Aura has now dropped into the red. In a tournament-styled duel, this would indicate that Jaune is no longer fit for battle, and that the official may call the match." She explained while Jaune still laid on the floor in defeat and Pyrrha looks sad.**

"Interesting. So they can actually measure how much aura someone has." Tony said.

"It's also interesting to hear how these tournaments work." Widow said.

 **Glynda turned her head to look at the losing warrior as he pulled out a smaller tablet with his low, blinking stats and that of his entire team. "Mr. Arc, it's been weeks now. Please try to refer to your Scroll during combat." She instructed.  
**

"I don't know, it's probably a bad idea to check your phone in the middle of a fight." Spider-Man said.

"Yeah. You'd be wide open. You'd get smashed." Hulk said.

"Maybe if they just give it a quick glance..." Cap suggested.

"Most of these people move over a hundred miles an hour and have guns, no matter how quick you look, if you're open at all, you're gonna get hit." Tony said.

 **"Gauging your Aura will help you decide when it's appropriate to attack, or when it is better to move to a more... defensive strategy. We wouldn't want you to be gobbled up by a Beowolf, now, would we?" She lectured.  
**

 **"Speak for yourself..." Cardin said.  
**

All the Avengers glared at him, Hulk and Thor growling. "I hope he gets what's coming to him." Widow said.

 **"Remember, everyone, the Vytal Festival is only a few months away! It won't be long before students from the other kingdoms start arriving in Vale, so keep practicing! Those who choose to compete in the combat tournament will be representing all of Vale!"** ** **Glynda reminded the seated and standing students, such as: Yang, punching the air in anticipation; Weiss, shaking her fists with an excited smile; and Ruby, shaking her entire body with enthusiastic energy while squealing softly.****

"They're certainly excited about this." Hawkeye said.

"They should be. It's their big chance to show the world they got what it takes to be Huntsmen and Huntresses." Tony said.

"Indeed. And a warrior always looks for an opportunity to test their mettle!" Thor boomed.

"Yeah! Everyone likes an awesome fight!" Hulk agreed.

 **The bell rang and students started leaving while Pyrrha continued to frown sadly. Jaune, still sitting on the floor, hung his head in shame as the scene went dark.**

"Aww, poor kid." Peter said.

"He just lost a fight pretty bad. It's understandable. I'm sure he'll bounce back... eventually." Steve said.

* * *

 **The episode came back to a zoom-up of Nora's turquoise eyes as she told an unbelievable story to her audience...**

 **"So! There we were, in the middle of the night..." She said dramatically.  
**

 **"It was day." Ren corrected off-screen.  
**

"Well, I can already tell this is a super true story." Hawkeye said.

"She's giving the story a little dramatic flare. Nothing wrong with that." Tony said.

 **"We were surrounded by Ursai..."** **Nora told Blake, who was paying no attention as she was lost in her book and Yang, who was hanging on her every word with her hands cupping her face.**

 **"They were Beowolves."** **Ren contradicted, holding a coffee cup.**

"Too bad this isn't true. I'd like to see the story going through Nora's head." Spider-Man said.

"I don't think we could handle whatever goes through Nora's head." Widow said.

 **"Dozens of them!" Nora screamed this as she stood at the table of both Team RWBY and JNPR, where Weiss was ignoring Nora and filing her nails, Ruby and Pyrrha were listening politely and Jaune was messing with his food.**

"He's still pretty upset." Cap said.

"Hey, these things take some time to bounce back from. I'd be stewing for a few days whenever I lose." Peter said.

 **"Two of 'em." Ren countered.  
**

 **"But they were no match... And in the end, Ren and I took them down and made a boatload of Lien selling Ursa skin rugs!"** **Nora finished confidently, crossing her arms while Ruby and Pyrrha now looked at a distant Jaune with concern.**

"Ah! A very clever and resourceful way of gaining profit from your vanquished foes!" Thor praised.

"Wait. I thought those things turned to smoke when they die, so she couldn't make rugs from them." Tony said.

"Too bad. I could use one of those as a rug." Hulk said.

 **Ren sighed "She's been having this recurring dream for nearly a month now." He explained.  
**

 **"Jaune? Are you okay?"** **Pyrrha asked, looking at her leader.**

 **"Huh? Oh, yeah! Why?"** ** **Jaune asked, snapping out of it, turning back toward them.****

 **"It's just that you seem a little... not okay..." Ruby said.  
**

"More like A LOT not okay." Peter said.

"Anyone could see this kid's having problems." Hawkeye said.

 **Jaune looked around as the others stopped their distractions and stared at him. "Guys, I'm fine. Seriously! Look!" He said, holding up a thumb while laughing nervously until his attention was focused on the members of Team CRDL, standing around a girl with brown rabbit ears jutting from her hair as Cardin laughed at her and Sky Lark held up his hands to his head in a mock interpretation of her unusual features.**

"Whoa. She has bunny ears." Peter said, a bit surprised.

"Oh, right, you missed that part. They have people with animal ears or things like that called Faunus. And clearly, they aren't treated well." Tony explained, glaring at the boys teasing along with the other Avengers.

"What ruffians! Teasing a young maiden in such a manner! Disgraceful!" Thor snapped.

"Exactly. They're supposed to be learning to defend people. That means Faunus, too." Cap said.

 **Jaune, Cardin's been picking on you since the first week of school!" Pyrrha said.  
**

 **"Who? Cardin Winchester? Nah... He just likes to mess around! You know, practical jokes!" Jaune tried to laugh it off.  
**

 **"He's a bully." Ruby said.  
**

 **Jaune scoffed. "Oh, please! Name one time he's 'bullied' me." He said, air quoting "bullied".  
**

"Let me guess, they're gonna show a bunch of times Cardin bullied him." Hawkeye said.

* * *

 **Jaune was seen on the way to class as Cardin was going the other way down the hall. When the two passed, Cardin knocked his arm into Jaune and made him drop his book, then continuing on his way with his hands out as if daring anyone to challenge him.**

 **"Ah, come on!" Jaune grumbled.  
**

"Called it." Hawkeye said.

"I mean, it was pretty obvious." Widow stated.

"He only acts tough. I bet if someone bigger or stronger came by, he'd cry like a baby." Hulk said.

"To be fair, I don't think we're going to find too many people taller him." Peter said.

* * *

 **Jaune and Cardin were about to pass through a doorway, but Cardin clicked on Jaune's sheath and extended it into its shield form as he was going out, causing him to run into his own defense and have it block the exit.**

 **"Come on...!"** **Jaune grunted in frustration as he tried to lift his shield back out.**

"Ah, yes. Shield's always were quite troublesome in small spaces." Thor said.

"Just push the button on the shield again." Tony said simply.

"Or just try to shift the sides until its upright. It's not nearly as wide as it is tall." Cap suggested.

* * *

 **Glynda was in the locker room with several students, gesturing at the devices.**

 **"Each of you will be assigned one rocket-propelled locker to store your weapons and extra armor. Additionally, your locker can be sent to a custom location based on a six-digit code." She explained.  
**

 **Hearing this, Cardin looked at Jaune - standing between him and the only open locker in the room...  
**

"Oh, no..." Cap and Spider-Man sighed and facepalmed at the same time.

"You've gotta be kidding." Hulk said.

"Not that tired old trick." Hawkeye groaned.

"I would be annoyed if I wasn't impressed by the rocket lockers." Tony said.

"That's just gonna make it worse." Widow told him.

"I'm afraid I don't get the joke or see the problem here." Thor said.

 **... And the cliché played itself out as Cardin quickly pushed a shocked Jaune into the small dark space and closed the door on him, pressing random buttons on the pad right after that.**

 **"What?! No, wait, wait! You've gotta get me out of here! Please! Don't! Don't! Don't do it!" Jaune pleaded, but it was too late to protest when the locker scrunched down and launched up with a burst of blue fire coming from its base. Cardin watched as the locker slowly soared across the sky.**

 **"Ahhh, coooome oooooooon...!"** **Jaune's scream was still heard from within the locker.**

"Oh. I see now." Thor said.

"The classic prank just got a terrifying upgrade." Spider-Man said, shivering.

"I just hope he lands somewhere soft." Cap said.

"How did Goodwitch not notice that? Between Jaune's screaming and the beeping from the buttons, the whole class should've seen all this." Hawkeye said.

* * *

 **The others were totally focused on him now.**

 **"I didn't land far from the school!"** **Jaune attempted to laugh it off.**

"That's also good. For all we know he could've ended up back in the Emerald Forest." Tony said.

"Still, a crash landing anywhere would have to hurt. Even with their aura." Widow said.

 **"Jaune, you know if you ever need help, you can just ask." Pyrrha told him.  
**

 **"Ooooh!" Nora cried as she got up from the table. "We'll break his legs!"** **She presented her diabolical plan with a not-entirely-sane grin.**

"YEAH!" Hulk cheered, standing up.

"Indeed! Put this ruffian in his place!" Thor cheered.

"Guys, violence isn't always the way to handle things. Sometimes it just makes it worse." Cap said.

 **"Guys, really, it's fine! Besides, it's not like he's only a jerk to me; he's a jerk to everyone." Jaune reasoned.  
**

 **They all looked over as the laughing grew louder, mixed in with cries of pain from the rabbit girl when one of her ears were tugged on by Cardin.**

All of the Avengers glared at Cardin furiously at this. "How could he! To torment a young maiden in such a way! They do not deserve to be Huntsmen!

"I wanna smash 'em!" Hulk snapped.

"You'd have to get in line." Spider-Man growled.

 **"Ow! That hurts!" She cried out, then stopped struggling and grimaced. "Please, stop..." She asked.  
**

 **Cardin continued laughing as he turned to his cronies. "I told you it was real!" He told them.  
**

 **"What a freak!"** ** **Russel Thrush laughed, still guffawing with his teammates.****

"On second thought, I'd be fine with breaking his legs." Cap said angrily.

"I'd do it even if you weren't." Tony said, glaring at Cardin.

"No wonder some of them became terrorists." Widow said.

"Just like what happens with mutants and inhumans." Peter said, knowing many of his friends are also discriminated simply for being different, forcing some to take drastic actions, like Magneto. But he, along with those friends and the Avengers, strived to end that prejudice and get humans to accept mutants and inhumans. They hoped someone would do the same for these Faunus as well.

 **Cardin finally relented and the girl stood up and hurried off, her head bowed and hiding her face from the watching table of heroes.**

 **"Atrocious. I can't stand people like him." Pyrrha said, disgusted.  
**

"Join the club." Hulk said.

"Then she could help break his legs." Widow said.

 **"He's not the only one..."** **Blake said angrily, staring daggers at the bully.**

 **"It must be hard to be a Faunus."** **Yang said sadly, leaning her head on her hand.**

 **Having gotten up from the table, Jaune looked back at his friends and sighed to himself before moving on with his tray table. He didn't realize that Cardin was watching his walk of shame with a sinister grin when the scene cut to black.**

"That can't be good." Tony said.

"That guy's got something planned. And whatever it is can't be good." Cap said, glaring at the bully.

 **We return to see a uniformed, sleeping Jaune with his head resting in his hands while a constantly-zooming and fast-talking Professor Bartholomew Oobleck was in the middle of his hyperactive lecture, educating Weiss, Blake, Pyrrha, Velvet Scarlatina and a leaned-back Cardin Winchester directly behind Jaune.**

"Jaune, I told Ruby the same thing, stop sleeping through class. You need to take this stuff seriously." Cap said.

"And we told you before, they can't hear you." Tony said.

"Still a good lesson. Plus, they'll get in trouble if the teacher catches them." Widow countered.

"Yeah. And this one actually seems to be paying attention instead of talking about himself." Spider-Man said.

 **"Yes! Yes, prior to the Faunus Rights Revolution-more popularly known as the Faunus War-" Oobleck lectured as he zoomed up to the front of the class and the map covered in papers behind his desk. "-humankind was quite, quite adamant about centralizing Faunus population in Menagerie." He explained as he pointed at the map of said-area with his stick, then zoomed off to the side for a sip of his coffee before appearing in front of the desk.**

"Slow down! I can barely understand you!" Hulk snapped.

"The man speaks as fast as a Bilgesnipe runs!" Thor said, caught off-guard.

"Relax, guys. You don't have to know this stuff, It's not like YOU'RE the ones being tested." Hawkeye assured them.

"It's called world building, Clint. It helps us understand the nature of what Remnant is like better." Natasha explained.

 **"Now! While this must feel like ancient history to many of you, it is imperative to remember that these are relatively recent events! Why, the repercussions of the uprising can still be seen to this day!" He noted as he zoomed around the classroom more, sipping his coffee again before continuing to zoom and talk. "Now! Have any among you been subjugated or discriminated because of your Faunus heritage?" He asked.  
**

"That's a bit of a harsh question, don't you think?" Spider-Man asked.

"Definitely not something I'd ask my class." Tony confirmed.

 **Some of the silhouetted students raised their hands. Velvet, after a moment, did the same.**

 **"Dreadful, simply dreadful! Remember, students, it is precisely this kind of ignorance that breeds violence!" Oobleck told them as he took another sip of his coffee. "I mean, I mean, I mean just look at what happened to White Fang! Now, which one of you young scholars can tell me what many theorize to be the turning point in the third year of the War?" He asked. "Yes?" He called to the student as** ** **a hand was raised.****

 **"The battle at Fort Castle!" Weiss answered.  
**

"Weiss. For some reason, I'm not surprised." Hawkeye said.

"Know it all." Hulk said.

 **"Precisely! And, who can tell me the advantage the Faunus had over General Lagune's forces?" Oobleck asked again.  
**

 **Unseen by the professor, Cardin flicked a paper football at Jaune's head, causing him to wake up. "Hey!" Jaune cried out, looking around.  
**

"Really? A tiny little piece of paper woke him up?" Widow questioned.

"Never underestimate the paper football. Many a bully got me in trouble by flicking that at me and sicking the teacher on me for either disrupting class or getting me to answer a question I wasn't paying attention to." Peter explained.

 **"Mr. Arc! Finally contributing to class! This is excellent! Excellent! What is the answer?"** **Oobleck asked, zooming over into Jaune's face.**

 **"Uhhhh... The answer... The advantage... that the Faunus..." Jaune dragged out, stalling for time as he looked behind Oobleck's focused face at Pyrrha, who coughed and motioned to her lips as she gave him the answer. "...had over that guy's stuff..." He drew out more as he saw Pyrrha cup her hands around her eyes and went for the most obvious answer. "Uhh... Binoculars!" He answered.  
**

 **While Jaune looked pleased with his answer, the class laughed at him and Oobleck, back at the front of the class, sipped his coffee. Pyrrha sighed and slapped a hand to her forehead as Cardin pounded his fist on his desk while chortling.**

"What, that was wrong? That's all I'd think of from that image." Cap said.

"I'm guessing Faunus have better vision in general and can see further, or they have night vision." Tony guessed.

 **Oobleck zoomed back behind his desk. "Very funny, Mr. Arc! Cardin! Perhaps you would care to share your thoughts on the subject!" He asked the bully.  
**

 **"Well, I know it's a lot easier to train an animal than a soldier." Cardin said.  
**

 **"You're not the most open-minded of individuals, are you, Cardin?"** **Pyrrha asked with a glare as Oobleck shook his head.**

The Avengers glared once again at the teen's blatant racism. "I can't believe they let this punk into a school for people who are supposed to save the world!" Widow snapped.

"If we ever go to this Remnant place, I'm gonna find this kid and smash him." Hulk grumbled.

"He'll get what's coming to him. He has to. That's the only purpose for characters like him." Hawkeye said.

 **"What? You got a problem?" He asked.  
**

 **"No, I have the answer! It's night vision. Many Faunus are known to have nearly-perfect sight in the dark." She explained as Cardin growled at the correct response.**

"Oh, that's interesting." Natasha said.

"Indeed. I've faced opponents with night vision before. They were formidable opponents in the dark." Thor said.

 **"General Lagune was inexperienced, and made the mistake of trying to ambush the Faunus in their sleep. His massive army was outmatched, and the general was captured." Blake explained before she turned to Cardin. "Perhaps if he'd paid attention in class, he wouldn't have been remembered as such a failure." She said.  
**

"Nice, Blake! Put him in his place!" Hawkeye said.

 **Cardin got up from his seat, fist clenched. "Mr. Winchester! Please take your seat." Oobleck told him. When Jaune laughed at his tormentor's embarrassment, Oobleck zoomed up to him. "You and Mr. Arc can both see me after class for additional readings." He said as he took yet another sip of his coffee.**

 **"Oohhhh..."** **Jaune groaned, shoulders slumping.**

 **"Now! Moving on!"** ** **Oobleck continued, zooming away.****

"Oh, extra work. The bane of my existence." Spider-Man said with a shiver, before brightening up. "But it's nice to see Cardin getting what he deserves!" He said.

"Too bad Jaune has to stay after with him." Tony said.

"Yeah. But, like I said, he should've been paying attention." Cap said.

* * *

 **When the lesson ended, Pyrrha, Nora and Ren came out of the classroom, only for Pyrrha to stop near the doorway.**

 **"You go on ahead. I'll wait for Jaune." She said as they looked back inside as the after-class talk occurred to the two boys.**

"That's a nice thing to do for your partner." Cap said approvingly.

"She likes him, Cap. Isn't it obvious?" Hawkeye asked.

 **Oobleck sipped his coffee. "You two have been struggling in my class since day one! Now, I don't know if it's a lack of interest, or just your stubborn nature, but whatever it is..." He started as he took a longer sip of his coffee. "It stops now! You've worked hard to gain entrance to this school and we only accept the best of the best, so I expect you to act like it. History is important, gentlemen! If you can't learn from it... you're destined to repeat it. Pages fifty-one to ninety-one! I want an essay on my desk by next class! Now! Run along." He instructed.  
**

"That's a chilling message." Spider-Man said.

"Although, it is true." Widow said.

"40 pages of reading. That's harsh." Hulk said.

"Eh. I could get that done in half an hour." Tony said.

"In Asgard, those who misbehaved in class cleaned the horse's stalls." Thor said, shuddering at the memory.

 **With that, he zoomed out of the classroom and past a waiting Pyrrha in a green and white blur. Jaune came out first and Cardin emerged behind him, pushing him to the ground, emitting an "Ow!" from him that made the bully laugh before walking away.**

"Rotten, no good jerk." Hulk snapped.

"When will the leg breaking begin?!" Thor demanded.

 **"You know, I really will break his legs."** **Jaune sighed and Pyrrha looked like she was struck by inspiration. "I have an idea! Here, come with me!" She said as she grabbed a confused Jaune by the arm and dragged him along as she turned down the corridor.**

"Sounds like she's got a plan." Spider-Man said.

* * *

 **A dejected Jaune and Pyrrha came onto a rooftop of one of the buildings, with a clear view of the glowing green orbs in the central tower of Beacon.**

"Nice view." Hawkeye said.

"It's not Stark tower, but it's not bad." Tony agreed.

 **"Pyrrha, I know I'm going through a hard time right now, but I'm not that depressed." Jaune said as he looked over the edge of the roof, to the confusion of Pyrrha "I can always be a farmer or something..." He said, still looking down.  
**

"No! Don't do it!" Spider-Man said.

"I'm pretty sure that was NOT the plan!" Cap said.

"Suicide is not the way of the warrior!" Thor said.

 **Pyrrha looked over the edge herself, realization hitting her with horror. "N-n-no!" She cried out, dashing to push Jaune away from the edge. "That's not why I brought you up here!" She said. The camera panned out to show the two on the roof as they talked with Cardin leaning in his windowsill right below them.**

"That can't be good. He can probably hear everything down there." Spider-Man said worriedly.

"Pyrrha should've thought this through more." Widow said.

 **"Jaune, I know you're having a difficult time in class and that you're still not the strongest of fighters, so... I want to help you!" Pyrrha explained.  
**

 **"Wh-what?" He asked.  
**

 **"We can train up here after class where no one can bother us!" She explained.  
**

"Good idea. If anyone's fit to train him, it'd be a 4 time champion." Tony said.

"Everyone needs a little help sometimes." Cap said.

 **"You think I need help?" He asked.  
**

 **"N-no! No, that's not what I meant." She said.  
**

 **"But you just said it." He said sadly.  
**

 **"Jaune, everybody needs a little push from time to time. It doesn't make you any different from the rest of us. You made it to Beacon! That speaks volumes of what you're capable of!" She assured him.  
**

"Exactly. Just what I've been saying." Cap said.

 **"You're wrong. I-I don't belong here."** **Jaune said sadly, turning away from her, lowering his head and voice.**

 **"That's a terrible thing to say! Of course you do!" She said.  
**

 **"No, I don't!"** ** **He snapped, turning back around, now angry. He s** ighed as Pyrrha looked bewildered. "I wasn't really accepted into Beacon..." ******He revealed the truth,** turning his back to her so he didn't have to face her. **

"What?" Spider-Man asked.

"Oh. This is getting interesting. Jaune's got some dirty secrets." Hawkeye said.

 **"Wh-what do you mean?" She asked.  
**

 **"I mean I didn't go to combat school, I didn't pass any tests. I didn't earn my spot at this Academy!"** ** **Jaune admitted, his voice going higher and higher as he confessed,** looking at her again. "I lied! I got my hands on some fake transcripts and I lied!" He told her.  
**

"It's wrong, but that's also impressive. I wouldn't have expected him to do something like that. Forging transcripts is pretty difficult." Widow said.

"So, your precious young and aspiring hero wasn't quite all he was cracked up to be." Tony said to Cap.

"Can't blame him. I did the same thing quite a few times trying to join the army." Steve explained.

 **"What? But... why?" She asked.  
**

 **"'Cause this is always what I've wanted to be!" He said as he turned away again. "My father, my grandfather and his father before him were all warriors! They were all heroes! I wanted to be one, too. I was just never good enough." He admitted.  
**

"Living up to one's lineage can be difficult. It's what wound up splitting my brother and I apart." Thor said sadly.

"So, you keep trying. And let people help you when you need it. And you REALLY need it." Hulk said.

"Wow, Hulk, that was pretty wise coming from you." Peter said.

"Hey. Just because I'm a big, green monster doesn't mean I'm dumb." Hulk said.

 **"Then let me help you!"** **Pyrrha said, approaching him, placing a hand on his shoulder.**

 **"I don't want help! I don't want to be the damsel in distress! I want to be the hero!"** ** **Jaune snapped, suddenly turning on her with mad frustration.****

"Now he's kind of losing favor." Widow said, glaring at the blonde.

"He's being too stubborn and prideful. If I had been that way, I'd never have become Captain America." Steve said.

"And we never would've worked together and become the Avengers." Tony added.

 **"Jaune, I-" Pyrrha started.  
**

 **"I'm tired of being the lovable idiot, stuck in the tree while his friends fight for their lives! Don't you understand? If I can't do this on my own... then what good am I?" He asked. Pyrrha attempted to reach out for his arm and console him, but he leaned back from her touch. "Just... leave me alone. Okay?" He said.  
**

 **"If that's what you think is best..."** **She said sadly with her head bowed. She walked away, her footsteps getting softer and softer until she left the roof.**

"Well, congrats, kid. You lost the one person in your corner." Hawkeye said.

"And don't forget who's just downstairs." Tony said, everyone gasping and suddenly remembering.

 **Jaune paced a little until he heard a mocking laugh and Cardin appeared on the roof from his window. "Oh, Jaune..." Cardin said.  
**

 **"Cardin!"** **Jaune said fearfully, looking behind him at his bully.**

"Not him again!" Hulk growled.

"If he heard that, Jaune's finished." Cap said worriedly.

"No, I know bullies. It's worse. He's gonna blackmail Jaune into doing stuff for him." Peter said, remembering similar events from school with Flash.

 **"I couldn't help but overhear you two from my dorm room. So, you snuck into Beacon, huh? I gotta say, Jaune, I never expected you to be such a rebel!" The taller knight taunted.  
**

 **"Please, Cardin, please, don't tell anyone!"** **Jaune pleaded, taking on a begging tone.**

 **"Jaune, come on! I'd never rat on a friend like that!" Cardin said.  
**

 **"A... a friend?"** **Jaune asked, approaching the bully.**

"I don't like the sound of that. Hawkeye said.

 **"Of course!" He said as he trapped Jaune in a headlock under his arm despite his struggling. "We're friends now, Jauney boy! And the way I see it, as long as you're there for me when I need you, we'll be friends for a long time." He explained as he finally released Jaune, who gasped as he leaned on the ground.**

"Yep. Called it." Peter said, annoyed by the taller knight's antics.

"Blackmail. A classic bully tactic. Cheap, but definitely effective." Widow said, glaring at the bully.

 **"That being said, I really don't have time to do those extra readings Dr. Oobleck gave us today. Think you could take care of that for me, buddy?" He asked with a smirk as he leaned down to rub Jaune's hair and got up with a grin. "That's what I thought." He said as he headed back to hang onto the edge. "Don't worry, Jaune; your secret's safe with me." He said.  
**

 **And with that, Cardin dropped back down to his room as Jaune rubbed his neck in pain and worry before the scene faded to black.**

"Damn that Cardin. Sure, Jaune didn't get in the right way, but blackmailing him is no better." Cap growled.

"He'll get what's coming to him. Karma always collects her debt." Spider-Man said.

"I hope you're right. Otherwise I'll have to build a rocket, find Remnant and beat that punk down myself." Tony said.

"Better bring me along if you do." Hulk said.

"And I as well." Thor agreed.

"We'll just have to wait and see what happens next." Widow said, about to play the next episode, when something else started. "Wait, something else is happening." She said.

"Must be another World of Remnant clip." Tony said.

"I wonder what this one's about." Spider-Man said.

* * *

 **RWBY: WORLD OF REMNANT**

 **FAUNUS**

 **"Ya know, most of us spend a lot of time talkin' about mankind versus Grimm, but technically, there is a third party in the mix: the Faunus." A gruff sounding man explained to an image of 3 humans charging at 3 beowulves, before 2 figures appeared back to back between them: one with some kind of animal ears facing the humans and one with a dog tail facing the Grimm.  
**

"Who's this? It doesn't sound like the woman from before." Cap said.

"I don't know. It must be someone who appears later in the show." Widow asked.

"I prefer this man, I believe. He speaks simpler and more clearly than the woman from before. She certainly liked to go into detail." Thor said.

"Sounds like a guy who could actually talk to and get to know, too." Tony said.

"So, at least in the beginning, the Faunus weren't on either side." Spider-Man said.

"In the beginning, everyone was on their own side." Hawkeye said.

 **"In case you're not in the know, Faunus are a species on Remnant that appear to be human in just about every way... every way but one." He clarified to the image of a line of human, before a tail appeared on one of them.  
**

"Gee, I almost couldn't tell how." Hulk said sarcastically.

"Sarcasm, Hulk. I'm proud of you!" Tony said.

 **"Each Faunus has a single animalistic trait, some more apparent than others. Ram horns, tiger claws, cat ears... I swear, on my Huntsman's license, I once saw a guy regrow his severed lizard tail. I swear. He explained as more people in the line suddenly had the traits he listed, including a man indeed regrowing a green lizard tail.** ** **"No amount of drinking can make you forget that pretty picture." He said as a brown liquid flooded the screen.  
****

"Ugh... Reminds me of when I fought Doctor Connors as the lizard and his tail came off. So gross." Pete said, shivering.

"I could've lived my whole life without knowing that." Widow said.

 **"As far as everyone's aware, Faunus have been around as long as mankind, if not a little longer. History gets a little fuzzy past a certain point, but we do know that their kind and ours are completely compatible, from a... a biological standpoint." He** ** **slightly stuttered as a slot machine reel spun, stopping on a sitting man on the left slot, a standing faunus woman aiming a bow on the right slot and a DNA helix appearing in the middle slot.  
****

"So humans and Faunus can mate, just like us with mutants and inhumans." Cap noted.

"Our worlds are sounding more and more similar. Faunus would probably be confused for mutants or inhumans here." Tony said.

 **"Take two wolf Faunus, and you'll get a little wolf cub kiddo. A wolf Faunus and a human also typically means that your little bundle of joy's teething days could get a little dicey. But if you take a wolf Faunus and a bull Faunus, for example, it's a complete roll of the dice. For all you know you could be cleaning up your son's... shedded snake skin." He explained as the left and right reels each had a wolf faunus with a baby wolf faunus in the middle, then the right wheel changed to a human and the middle wheel once again became a wolf faunus. The left wheel the spun to a bull faunus with a question mark in the middle.**

The man shuddered at the thought of the snake skin, something the Avengers completely agreed with. "Yeah, no thanks." Spider-Man said.

Natasha looked a little worried at the thought of having a wolf-like child. Not the child itself, but if it did indeed have sharp teeth, nursing would be a nightmare.

 **"Scientists are still scratching their heads when it comes to... well, a lot about the Faunus. But science isn't the real problem, it's how we all get along. Or in this case, how we don't." He said, the wheels all becoming question marks, before rising up off the screen, being replaced with a forest.  
**

"And there it is. There's always the bad news." Hawkeye said.

"We already heard about it, you shouldn't be surprised." Cap said.

 **"Early man was scared to death of the Faunus, and honestly, it's not too hard to sympathize with that. Seeing something that looks like you and acts like you walk out of the forest and reveal a pair of fangs, can be a little... upsetting." He said as the camera zoomed through the forest, coming up to a faceless man, before the face suddenly had horns, fangs and menacing eyes.  
**

"It can be scary just seeing them on the street. It creeped me out the first time I saw Logan's claws." Spider-Man said.

"Or when Ms. Marvel stretches and makes her fists twice my size." Hulk said.

"And that's the problem. People fear them, so the shun them or even try to hurt them, so they hurt us back." Cap said.

 **"Like most things man doesn't understand, all sorts of rumors and stories surround the Faunus. People avoided them like the plague, pushing them out of settlements and sometimes even hunting them down." He explained as humans with swords chased down and cornered an unarmed faunus, who cowered in fear before red spattered all over the image.  
**

"How could they! He was retreating! And unarmed!" Thor snapped.

"They think the only way they'll be safe is if he's gone for good." Tony said.

 **"Man began to outnumber the Faunus, and the Faunus began to consider man nothing more than a hostile species. Heh. Can't really blame them." He explained with a map of Remnant on the screen.  
**

"The same thing almost happened with the Inhumans." Hulk said.

"Yeah. Good thing we managed to make peace with Medusa and Black Bolt." Hawkeye said.

 **"These clashes between species were unavoidable, as land that was safe from the Grimm was in constant short supply." He went on as symbols of death popped up all over Remnant. "But it was the Grimm that brought humans and Faunus together for the first time." He added as the map slowly blackened and zoomed in on a part of Vale the darkness was closing in on.  
**

"Well, I guess the Grimm are good for that ONE thing." Widow said.

"Indeed. A common enemy has more than once forced us to work with our greatest foes." Thor said.

 **"A village in Sanus fell under attack, and the only reason anyone survived, was because the humans and Faunus united against their common enemy. It was a step in the right direction, but it didn't fix everything." He said as Grimm attacked a village, but were dispatched by both human and faunus, who shook hands.  
**

The Avengers nodded at the start of peace, but braced themselves for what would come next.

 **"Once humanity learned they weren't so different from the Faunus, they still used those differences as an excuse to exploit and alienate them." He explained to images of humans putting faunus to grueling, slave-like labor.**

"That's horrible." Peter said in disgust.

"Sadly, it's a mistake even the humans of our world have made more than once." Tony said.

"But hopefully, never again." Cap said.

 **"The treatment of the Faunus differed around the world, and things wouldn't improve much for them until the Great War: Vale and Vacuo against Mantle and Mistral. A war unlike anyone had ever seen, and when it was over, the world was desperate to find compromises that would ensure they'd never see the likes of it again."** ** **He continued, images of the Kingdom's symbols spinning around, before stopping with two on each side, fires engulfing them both sides.****

"Yep. Big wars will do that. A lot of effects from the last World War are still being sorted out." Widow said somberly.

"Yes. Even Asgard has had wars we wish we could forget." Thor said.

 **"Faunus were awarded equal rights as citizens of Remnant, and as an apology, they were given an entire continent of their own to do with as they pleased." He explained as the faunus were given medals and the map zoomed out to a small continent.**

"I don't know. That's a pretty small consolation prize for all the Faunus were put through." Hawkeye said.

"I have a bad feeling about this." Hulk said.

 **"There were some that saw this as fair and just, but many saw it for what it really was: a slap in the face from a nation of sore losers. And so Menagerie was born. There are still Faunus all over the world, though the fair treatment they were promised varies in quality from place to place. But Menagerie will always be their safe haven." He continued as villages appeared in a rather small area of Menagerie.  
**

"Like the Inhuman city. It's great for them there, but any time they leave, it could be risky." Cap said.

"At least they don't all have to be registered. I know it was just one of Ultron's tricks, but it nearly ruined the Avengers and caused war with Inhumans." Tony said.

 **"Here's the thing, though. You can only push and prod people so much before they reach a tipping point. And when you pack those people together, it just makes it all the easier for them to get organized... and get even." He finished as the red wolf head of the White Fang symbol appeared, the claw marks raking across it and shaking the screen for startling emphasis.  
**

"Like Magneto and the mutant brotherhood." Spider-Man said.

"We just have to try and make peace. That's all we can do. And hopefully, Remnant can do the same." Cap said.

"Well, before we start another episode, I think we should take a break and stretch our legs." Tony said, standing up and stretching.

"Good idea. I could use a quick rest stop." Hawkeye said.

"Yeah. And we need more snacks." Hulk said.

"Sounds good to me. I was just thinking we've been sitting a little too long myself." Widow said.

"Then let us take a break, refresh ourselves and collect more snacks!" Thor said, him and Hulk heading to the kitchen as the rest of the Avengers left to fulfill their own needs.

* * *

 **A/N: Whew! This was a long one! I hope you all enjoy it! It may be a bit early to do the WoR about the Faunus, since we haven't met Qrow or The White Fang yet, but I figured it was the best place, since it's where we're really introduced to the Faunus. But now, things are getting tense! How will the Avengers react to the terrible things Cardin puts Jaune through, or how Jaune turns everything around in the next episode? Questions for next time.**

 **Also, my good friend blackheart0009 has started my challenge with his new story: Finding Remnants of Heroes. I highly recommend it, go check it out and look forward to more of my story soon!**


	14. Episode 8: Forever Fall

The Avengers all came back from their breaks, each one of them imagining how they'd put Cardin in his place before assuming their original positions. "Alright. Let's see what happens next." Widow said.

"Hopefully Jaune manages to find some way to get out from under Cardin's thumb." Cap said.

* * *

 **The scene opened to a view of the Beacon Academy student dorms, where Pyrrha looked out the window sadly as Ren loaded StormFlower and Nora was jumping on her bed in the room for Team JNPR.**

 **"How come Jaune gets home so late?" Nora asked.  
**

 **"He's become rather scarce since he started fraternizing with Cardin." Ren pointed out.  
**

"Not by choice." Cap said angrily.

"Blame Cardin, not Jaune." Natasha agreed.

"I hope she DOES break his legs." Hulk said.

 **"That's weird... Doesn't he know we have a field trip tomorrow? We need our REST!" Nora proclaimed while twirling in midair so her back hit the covers.**

 **"I'm sure our leader knows exactly what he's doing."** **Pyrrha said angrily.**

 **Nora and Ren exchanged glances, not knowing that Jaune himself was looking in through the crack of the door. "Mmmm... I guess so."Nora said.  
**

"I don't know about that." Clint said.

"If you're sure." Tony said.

 **Jaune hung his head and closed the door, just as a voice interrupted his thoughts.**

 **"Hey, Jaune!" Ruby greeted. Startled, Jaune turned around to see her in her pajamas. She giggled at his reaction. "Long time, no see! Did you lock yourself out again?" She asked.  
**

"He's locked himself out before? Really?" Tony asked.

"He probably needs a special pass or something. We needed one back on the triskelion. And you were in BIG trouble if you lost that." Spider-Man said.

 **"Oh, uh, nope!" Jaune said, raising his Scroll, attempting to laugh. "Got it!" He assured her.  
**

"See?" Peter said.

 **"So! Where have you been lately?" Ruby asked.  
**

 **"I, uh..." Jaune tried to come up with something, but just sighed and lowered his head. "I messed up. I did something I shouldn't have, and now Cardin has me on a leash, and Pyrrha won't even talk to me, and..." He explained, stopping to breathe heavily through his nose. "I'm starting to think coming to this school was a bad idea." He said as he pressed his back to his team's door and slid down to the floor in depression. "I'm a failure." He said.  
**

"Everyone has their doubts. It's working past them and doing your job despite them that makes you a hero." Steve said.

"Wise words, indeed, Captain." Thor complimented.

 **"Nope!" Ruby said simply.  
**

 **"'Nope?'"** **Jaune asked, looking at her in surprise.**

 **"Nope! You're a leader now, Jaune. You're not allowed to be a failure." Ruby explained.  
**

 **"But... what if I'm a failure at being a leader?" Jaune asked.  
**

 **Ruby thought about it for a moment, then gave her answer. "Nope!" She said once more.  
**

 **Jaune laughed as she joined him on the floor. "You know, you're not the easiest person to talk to about this kind of stuff." He told her.  
**

"Yeah, you've definitely got her beat when it comes to pretty speeches, Cap." Tony said.

"She's trying. And she's just starting give her a chance." Cap said.

 **"Nope!" She confirmed as Jaune leaned into the door some more. "Jaune, maybe you were a failure when you were a kid..." She said, to which Jaune groaned and sank lower to the ground. "... and you might've even been a failure the first day we met!" She said as he groaned and went lower still.**

"I don't know, Cap. She's not exactly instilling confidence." Spider-Man said.

"True. Many would lay down their weapons after such words." Thor said.

"I'm sure she's going somewhere with this." Steve said, although slightly unsure now.

 **"But, you can't be one now. You know why?" She asked.  
**

 **"Uhhh, because...?" Jaune started, unsure of where this was going.  
**

 **"Because it's not just about you anymore. You've got a team now, Jaune. We both do! And if we fail, then we'll just be bringing them down with us." She explained as she gos up and placed her hands on her hips as she spoke. "We have to put our teammates first, and ourselves second. Your team deserves a great leader, Jaune. And I think that can be you." She continued as she walked over to her door and opened it as Jaune, now slightly inspired by her words, watched her wave. "Have a good night, Jaune!" She said as she went inside.**

"See? I knew she was going somewhere with that." Cap said.

"Not bad. She definitely turned it around." Widow commended.

"It sounds a little too close to what Ozpin told her, but it's her own enough I'll give her credit." Tony said.

 **With new energy, Jaune pushed himself off the ground and faced the door, ready to turn the knob and face his team, but his scroll beeped and he pulled it off of his side to open it, seeing Cardin's contact relaying a message.**

"Not this guy again..." Hulk growled.

"Curse you, Cardin! You ruined young Jaune's moment of redemption!" Thor cursed.

"I'm sure he'll have another chance. Still, what does that sleeze ball want?" Clint said with a glare.

 **"Hey! It's your buddy Cardin! I know you're probably busy with that Dust project I gave you, buuuut I'm gonna need you to go out and get me a bag of Rapier Wasps." Cardin explained over the scroll as Jaune made a terrified sound in response. "And make sure they've got some really big stingers! It's important, so don't screw this up!" He warned.  
**

"He wants a bunch of wasps? What's this guy up to?" Peter asked.

"Nothing good, that's for sure." Tony said.

"I just hope he's not allergic to bees, or he's in real danger." Cap said worriedly.

 **Jaune closed his scroll just when it began to beep again. Sighing, he wearily headed down the hallway and away from his room.**

"Poor kid." Natasha said.

"He needs to stand up to Cardin and stop doing his dirty work before he gets killed." Clint said.

* * *

 **An overhead shot of a forest bustling with red leaves and gray trunks was seen as the camera descended and showed Glynda leading teams RWBY, JNPR, and CRDL through the area.**

"That place is beautiful." Widow said, admiring the lovely forest.

"Indeed. In all my travels through the realms, I've seen few places of such beauty." Thor admired as well.

"I think Weiss had a portrait of that place." Spider-Man said.

 **"Yes, students, the forest of Forever Fall is indeed beautiful. But we are not here to sight-see. Professor Peach has asked all of you to collect samples from the trees deep inside this forest, and I'm here to make sure none of you die while doing so."** **Glynda explained to the group.**

"Good call. It's not like you already dropped them in a forest and left them for dead." Tony said.

"That was an initiation. They're official students now. And losing students would be a nightmare." Cap said.

 **The group stopped and Jaune, grunting and carrying a large case with six empty glass jars on top, tried to catch up with them and ended up bumping into Cardin. The bully scowled at Jaune, who attempted to feign innocence by whistling tunelessly.**

"Yeah, that's not gonna work, buddy." Clint said.

Hulk scowled at Cardin as the bully scowled at Jaune. "Jaune's carrying all the stuff Cardin's team should be holding." He said.

 **"Each of you is to gather one jar's worth of red sap. However, this forest is full of the creatures of Grimm, so be sure to stay by your teammates. We will rendezvous back here at 4 o'clock. Have fun!"** **Glynda finished instructing her group, holding up a full jar of their objective.**

 **While Yang and her sister smiled at one another, Jaune attempted to (noisily) sneak away from Cardin to his team, but the blackmailer saw this and grabbed Jaune by the back.**

"Black Widow, he is not." Spider-Man said.

"Even Hulk's stealthier than him." Widow said, the green giant chuckling at this.

 **"Come on, buddy - let's go!" Cardin said, dragging Jaune along with him.  
**

 **Jaune miserably looked up at his team, where Nora and Ren were already walking into the forest's depths and Pyrrha was staring sadly at the scene. Dropping his gaze, Jaune turned and followed CRDL, to the disappointment of a sighing Pyrrha before she continued on.**

"Come on, 4-time champ! Your leader's in trouble. Do something!" Tony said.

"I believe she wants to respect his wishes of doing it on his own." Thor explained.

"Besides, if she does anything, Cardin might let out Jaune's secret." Cap said.

* * *

 **Team CRDL was making themselves as comfortable as possible by leaning on stones, trees and the ground while Jaune returned to the group with six full jars, setting them down just as he collapsed face-down. The surrounding team got up in response.**

"Lazy brats." Widow said.

"And these guys are supposed to be great warriors? I don't see it." Hawkeye said.

 **"Hey, great work, Jaune-y boy! Now that wasn't too hard, was it?" Cardin asked.  
**

 **"I think I'm allergic to this stuff..."** **Jaune groaned, still on the ground, cross-eyed and sounding dizzy.**

"Yep. He's definitely showing several signs of allergies." Tony confirmed.

"That's definitely not good." Cap said.

 **"Greeeeat, great, great. So, Jaune, I bet you're asking yourself, 'Why did my buddy Cardin ask me to collect six jars of tree sap when there's only five of us?'" Cardin wondered.  
**

 **"That is one of the many questions I have asked myself today, yes."** **Jaune confirmed, nodding, still exhausted.**

"Yeah, that doesn't add up if you ask me." Peter agreed.

"No doubt he has foul intentions." Thor said.

 **"Well, come with me, and you'll find out."** **Cardin said as Jaune sat up.**

 **Jaune moaned and gulped in worry.**

"What are you up to, Cardin?" Cap wondered.

"I'm guessing we'll find out. And we'll want to beat the punk even more." Hawkeye said.

* * *

 **Now perched on a hilltop overlooking the other students, team CRDL - plus Jaune, squeezed between Cardin and Russel Thrush - peaked their heads over the crest and watched as everyone was retrieving their samples of sap. Ren, kneeling to collect it from a tree, passed a full jar to Nora, who "Mmmm!"d at the gift as Ren traded it for the other jar in her care. He turned back to the tree and started filling it up while several licking sounds are heard off-screen until the camera panned back to Nora, now with an embarrassed smile covered in red and an empty jar in her hands.**

The Avengers all chuckled at this, shaking their heads. "Oh, young Nora. So childish and naive. She almost reminds me of myself when I was younger." Thor said.

"Maybe 'cuz she's your daughter!" Hulk teased.

"No, she's not!" Thor snapped.

"She IS aware she needs that for school, right?" Peter asked.

 **"Cardin, wh-what's going on?"** **Jaune asked, turning to his left.**

 **Cardin was still staring at the unsuspecting group sharply. "Payback." He growled.  
**

"Oh, no..." The Avengers all said at once.

 **Jaune widened his eyes in understanding. "Pyrrha...?" He asked as he watched her gather more sap from a tree. "Wh-what are you-?" He asked.  
**

"Leave her alone, you bastard!" Widow snapped.

"Whatever he's got planned, no way she deserves it." Steve said.

 **Cardin pounded his fist on the ground. "That's the girl. Red-haired know-it-all, thinks she's so smart. Alright, boys..." He started, pulling out a buzzing cardboard box with a large "W" written on its sides. "Last night, old Jaune here managed to round up an entire box of Rapier Wasps, and now, we're gonna put him to work." He explained.  
**

"I don't know what he's mad at her about. Because she gave the right answer in class?" Tony said skeptically.

"Yeah, Blake's the one that got everybody laughing at him, he should be mad at her if anyone." Hawkeye said.

 **Russel grabbed Jaune by the shoulder, who barely laughed in nervousness.**

 **"Now, according to one of the essays you wrote for me last week, these nasty things loooove sweets." Cardin elaborated as Pyrrha was seen finishing her sap collection. "I'm thinking it's time we teach her a thing or two." He said. The members of CRDL got up. Cardin offered his hand to Jaune, only to painfully yank him up on his feet and shoved the jar into his grasp. "And you're gonna do it." He told Jaune.  
**

"Coward! He can't even take his own supposed 'revenge'!" Thor snapped.

"Damn. If they cover her in sap, the wasps will go after her. And she'll get stung horribly." Widow realized.

"And if they're anything like our wasps, they can keep on stinging. They aren't one and done, like bees." Peter said worriedly.

 **"Do what?" Jaune asked.  
**

 **"Hit her with the sap!" Cardin ordered, leaning in close to Jaune's face. "Either that, or I'll have a chat with Goodwitch, and you'll be on the first airship out of Beacon." He threatened.  
**

"Cardin... He's as bad as some of our villains. He doesn't even deserve to be at Beacon!" Cap snapped.

"I wish I was there. I'd smash him good!" Hulk growled.

 **Jaune looked down at the jar of sap in his hands and then up at the four grinning teammates waiting to see what happens. Jaune turned towards the group and aimed his throw at an oblivious and smiling Pyrrha, trying to steel his nerves and shaking hand to do the deed, but ultimately steeled himself for what he's about to do.**

"Jaune... Don't do it..." Spider-Man pleaded.

"Remember what young Ruby said." Thor said.

 **"No." Jaune refused.  
**

 **"What did you say?" Cardin demanded.  
**

 **Jaune gripped the jar tightly. "I said... NO!" He snapped as he turned and threw the jar at Cardin, instantly recoiling his hands to himself as he looked at Cardin's breastplate, covered in sap. The other team leader, however, just looked at himself and laughed darkly.**

"Oh... That's never good." Hawkeye said.

"No. You never want to hear them laugh like that." Tony agreed.

 **"Oh, you've done it now..." Cardin said evilly.  
**

 **Jaune humorously laughed to himself once more with his hands still raised in an attempt for defense as Dove Bronzewing and Sky Lark grabbed Jaune's shoulders and pulled him in so his terrified eyes can fill the screen before it went dark.**

"Well. That can't be good." Tony said.

"At least he stood up for his partner." Cap said.

"Yeah. But it might cost him." Widow said.

* * *

 **Jaune was pushed to the ground of Forever Fall right after the events of the "Forever Fall", groaning as he looked up and saw a sap-covered Cardin looming over him. The bigger warrior picked Jaune up by his front and grinned while punching him back to the ground.**

"Coward! Allow him to stand and fight back!" Thor snapped.

"Yeah, I don't think they care about being good sports." Spider-Man said.

 **"You know that wasn't very smart, Jaune-y boy." He said darkly as he picked up a bruised Jaune again while the rest of Team CRDL watched. "I'm gonna make sure they send you back to mommy in teeny tiny pieces." He said.  
**

"I can't believe he thinks he deserves to be a huntsman!" Widow said with a scowl.

"They're nothing but punks that should be smashed!" Hulk snapped.

 **"I don't care what you do to me..."** ** **Jaune started, head hanging back, before he** looked at Cardin with fury. "... but you are not messing with my team." He warned.  
**

 **Cardin looked momentarily shocked, before glaring once more. "What? You think talk like that makes you tough? You think you're a big strong man now?" He demanded.  
**

"Well done, young Jaune! Even in dire circumstances like these, he remains strong and defiant!" Thor praised.

 **Jaune smiled in defiance. An enraged Cardin roared and raised his fist again, but just as the hit connected, a bright light shined from Jaune.**

"Whoa!? What was that?!" Clint asked.

"I have no idea. But I bet it's good." Cap said.

"We can only guess at this point." Widow said.

 **When the white fades from the screen, Cardin was crying out in pain as he held his hand. Jaune, now back on the ground but completely healed, looked confusedly at his hands as they faintly glowed white. While he stared, though, Sky Lark kicked Jaune in the back and got him on his stomach, but he looked up and glared at the approaching Cardin.**

"And now they gang up on him and attack from behind?! Truly, they're all cowards!" Thor snapped.

"Come on, Jaune, get up!" Cap urged.

 **"Let's see how much of a man you really are..." Cardin said.  
**

 **Just as he said this, a low growl was heard and a surprised Team CRDL turned around and saw a large paw crash onto the scene, belonging to a huge Ursa Major with dozens of jagged spikes sticking out from its wide back.**

"Whoa! That's way bigger than the ones Yang fought in the forest." Tony said.

"'Tis true! A mighty beast, worthy of facing the might of Mjolnir!" Thor said.

"Or getting smashed by me!" Hulk said.

 **It leapt forward and stood over the terrified students, lifting its head in the air to smell the sap on Cardin's breastplate.**

"Uh-oh! Looks like it's hungry for some sap, Cardin!" Spider-Man said.

"I think you mean A sap, you know, like Cardin!" Hawkeye said, the two laughing and high-fiving.

"He's a jerk, but not even he deserves to get eaten by a bear... Broken legs, maybe." Cap said.

 **It landed back on its forelegs and roared at Cardin while his teammates heroically flee.**

 **"That's a big Ursa!" Russel cried out.  
**

"Oh, yes. The next defenders of the world, everyone." Widow said sarcastically.

"Jeez. I bet even Batroc the Leaper would scare these guys." Tony said.

 **Cardin was rooted to the spot when the Grimm swung its claws and knocked him sideways, revealing Jaune cowering behind him. The Ursa continued to sniff, uninterested in Jaune and following its nose to Cardin. He watched at it towered over Cardin, who got his wits and pulled out his mace weapon only for the monster to swipe it away to Jaune's feet. He looked conflicted, wondering whether to fight or run away.**

"Be the better man, Jaune. Save him. You want to be a hero, this is your chance." Steve said.

"He hurt you, but you'll only hurt yourself if you let him die. With great power, comes great responsibility." Peter said.

* * *

 **Meanwhile, the roar of the giant Ursa was heard by the members of Teams RWBY and JNPR, still collecting sap on the other side of the forest.**

 **"Did you guys hear that?"** **Ruby asked, getting up, concerned.**

"A little hard not to hear that." Clint said.

"It was pretty loud." Widow agreed.

 **Suddenly, the remaining members of Team CRDL were seen running the other way from the roar through the other students.**

 **"Ursa! Ursa!"** ** **Russel screamed, looking back** until he ran into Yang accidentally. **

**"What?!" Yang asked, completely unfazed by his collision as she picked him up by the front of his shirt. "Where?" She demanded.  
**

 **"Back there! It's got Cardin!"** **Russel explained, struggling and still running in air, but pointed back from where they came.**

"Haha! Yang didn't even feel him crash into her! He's so weak!" Hulk laughed.

"He knows he can't run in mid-air, right?" Tony asked.

 **"Jaune!"** **Pyrrha said worriedly, dropping her jar of sap.**

 **"Yang! You and Blake, go get Professor Goodwitch!"** ** **Ruby ordered, going into leader mode.** Dropping Russel, Yang and Blake nodded before following the order. **

**"You two, go with them! There could be more!"** **Pyrrha said to Ren and Nora as she and Ruby activated their weapons.**

"Hang on, Jaune. Help's on the way." Spider-Man said.

"He might be able to handle this on his own. Have faith." Cap said.

The other Avengers looked at each other unsurely. "I believe he should wait for help." Thor said.

* * *

 **Cardin was attempting to run from the following Ursa, but it leapt over its prey and clawed him away. He tried to get up and crawl away. "Crap! Crap, crap!" He cried out fearfully.  
**

 **"Oh, no!"** **Pyrrha said worriedly as she, Ruby, and Weiss came on to the scene.**

 **They watched as the Ursa leaned over the helpless victim, raising its paw and swiping it down... only to be blocked by Jaune's shield, Crocea Mors.**

"Good he made the right choice." Cap said approvingly.

"And he's holding back that monster. Impressive." Widow said.

"He held back that scorpion's claws, too, but this one's putting a lot more weight down on him." Tony analyzed.

 **He struggled to defend a stunned Cardin from its attempts to lean on him, but Weiss lifted Myrtenaster as she prepared. to go help.**

 **"Wait!"** **Pyrrha told Weiss.**

"Yes. Let him prove himself. He may yet do this on his own." Thor said.

"Let's see what you got, kid." Hulk said.

 **Jaune took the shield out from the Ursa's paw and slashed at its stomach, causing it to lash out and try to crush him. He rolled out of the way and jumped over its swipe at his feet, but he was unprepared for when it launched a claw at him in mid-air. He landed far away, yet was immediately back on his feet and passing Cardin as he charged again. The Ursa knocked Jaune behind it when he tried for a leaping attack. He looked at the scroll in his shield to find out that his Aura level was in the red. He grew angry again and started to run at the Ursa as it also began to dash towards him.**

"He's leaving himself open too much." Cap said.

"And he's just rushing in without a plan, not looking for weaknesses or openings." Widow added.

"He's not gonna last much longer if he keeps this up." Tony said.

 **As they were just about to clash in slow-motion, Pyrrha saw that Jaune had left himself completely open to the Ursa's attack and lifted her hand out to him, gathering dark red energy in her arm. Just as the Ursa was about to hit him, the glow surrounded Jaune's shield and made it lift up to block the swipe.**

"What?" Spider-Man asked.

"She moved the shield. But how?" Clint asked.

"They all have special powers. Pyrrha's is either telekinesis or she manipulates metal, like Magneto." Tony said.

"Well, at least the Ursa's now gonna hit him." Cap said.

"And now it's wide open." Widow said with a smirk.

 **Jaune used the surprise defensive move to lean on the ground, push his shield back up and swing his blade right through the Ursa's neck. The head fell to the ground as the body slammed onto the ground.**

"YES!" Thor cheered.

"YEAH! Take that, Smokey!" Hulk said.

"That was insane!" Peter said in amazement.

"I told you, he has potential." Cap said with a smirk.

"Well, Pyrrha still had to help him, but..." Clint said.

"I'll admit it. That was awesome. Jaune was pretty badass." Tony said.

"Something tells me he's gonna go far after this." Widow said.

 **"Uhhh... What?"** **Ruby asked as Pyrrha's hand stopped glowing and she smiled.**

 **"How did you...?"** **Weiss started, equally amazed.**

"Yes! Tell us! Please!" Clint said.

"I'm dying to know, honestly." Widow said, intrigued.

 **"Well, Ruby has her speed, you have your glyphs. My Semblance is polarity." Pyrrha explained.  
**

 **"Whoa, you can control poles..." Ruby said in awe.  
**

The Avengers chuckled at this. "Not quite, Ruby." Peter said.

"Guess you're girlfriend's not a science nerd like you, web-head." Hulk said.

Spider-Man panicked slightly at this. "S-she's not my girlfriend! Who said anything about that?!" He asked.

 **"No, you dunce! It means she has control over magnetism!" Weiss corrected.  
**

 **"Magnets are cool, too..."** **Ruby whispered, still impressed.**

"So, Magneto it is." Tony said.

"But she's one the right side." Cap said.

 **Weiss noticed Pyrrha started to leave. "Wait, where are you going?" She asked.  
**

 **"Yeah! We gotta tell them what happened!" Ruby said.  
**

 **"We could... Or perhaps we could keep it our little secret?"** ** **Pyrrha suggested,** walksing away again as Ruby and Weiss smiled to each other in understanding and a bruised Jaune sheathed his weapon before going over to Cardin. **

"Even after all he's done, he saved Cardin and is helping him up. Clearly, young Jaune is a true warrior and a gentleman." Thor said.

"I would've let him pick himself up, but I guess Jaune's better than that." Widow said.

"Don't blame ya. I would've left him on the ground, too." Hulk said.

 **Cardin, still covered in sap, looked up at Jaune as his savior offered a hand. Cardin smiled as he took it and was lifted back up on his feet. "Holy crap, Jaune!" Cardin said, clearly impressed.  
**

 **"Don't ever mess with my team - my friends - ever again."** ** **Jaune ordered threateningly** as he stared Cardin dead in the eye. "Got it?"He demanded.  
**

"That's right. Stand up for your team. That's the mark of a leader." Cap said approvingly.

"He's not quite you, Cap, but I think he'll be perfect for team JNPR." Widow said.

 **Cardin looked intimidated, possibly even apologetic. With his order spoken, Jaune turned and walked away from a frozen Cardin.**

"Yeah. You better listen to him. Or we might have to pop into Remnant and teach you a lesson." Spider-Man said.

"I think we can leave that to old Jaune-y boy. Seems like he's got a handle on things now.

* * *

 **Later that night, on top of the dorm building, a uniformed Jaune stood on the edge and looked into the distance at the green lights of Beacon.**

 **"No Cardin tonight?"** ** **Pyrrha asked off-screen, before she** walked to his side. "I thought you two were best buds?" She questioned.  
**

"I really hope she's being sarcastic." Clint said.

"She must be." Widow said.

 **Jaune turned to her. "Pyrrha... I'm sorry. I was a jerk! You were only trying to be nice, and... I had all this stupid macho stuff in my head-" He explained.  
**

"Yeah, you should be apologizing after all that stuff you said." Peter said.

"I'm sure she's forgiven him by now. She wouldn't have worried about him or saved him if she didn't." Tony said.

"Besides. It's pretty clear she's got a thing for him." Cap said.

 **"Jaune! It's okay!" Pyrrha assured him as they smiled at one another. "Your team really misses their leader, you know." She added as she began to walk to the exit. "You should come down! Ren made pancakes! No syrup, though - you can thank Nora for that!" She said.  
**

"She has the appetite of the Hulk!" Thor said, shocked.

"We both got a lot of energy and we burn through it fast. Gotta eat and keep it up!" Hulk said, devouring a whole turkey.

"Between you two and Hawkeye, I'm amazed this place EVER has food." Natasha said.

"Hey!" Clint said.

 **Jaune smiled, but held out his hand. "Wait!" He called out as Pyrrha turned around, Jaune now looking sheepish. "I know I don't deserve it after all that happened, but... would you still be willing to help me... to help me become a better fighter?" He asked.  
**

"Everyone needs help every now and then. A lot in his case." Tony said.

"He's learning to ask for help. That's a big step for him." Cap said.

 **Pyrrha turned around so a worried Jaune wouldn't see her satisfied smile. She went up to Jaune and suddenly pushed her leader to the ground.**

 **"Hey!" Jaune whined.  
**

 **"Your stance is all wrong. You need to be wider and lower to the ground."** ** **Pyrrha explained with an evaluating tone as she stood over him with her arms on her hips. S** he offered him her hand, which he graciously accepted and they continued to hold onto and grinned at each other. "Let's try that again." She said.  
**

"Aww, it reminds me of some of our training session, Widow. Except she only tripped him, not dislocated his arm." Spider-Man said.

 **The camera moved above the two and on the night sky over the school before the scene cut to black.**

"Well, that's sweet. Everything worked out in the end." Tony said.

"Yep. Jaune has learned the value of being a leader and is willing to let others help him." Cap listed.

"Pyrrha's teaching him, so he'll be a more effective fighter in the future." Widow added.

"And they finally put Cardin in his place!" Hulk cheered.

"Yes! The scoundrel shan't be bothering young Jaune again for some time, it would seem!" Thor cheered as well.

"Yep. And if he ever steps out of line, they always got Nora to sic on them." Hawkeye said.

"Looks like Jaune Arc's character arc is all nicely wrapped up with a cute little bow on top." Peter said.

"Yep. So, let's see what happens in the next episode." Widow said, playing it.

"Wait! Something else is playing. Must be another World of Remnant thing." Tony said.

* * *

 **World of Remnant**

 **Aura**

 **"Huntsmen** **are widely regarded as the world's greatest warriors. While skilled in a wide variety of weaponry and hand-to-hand combat, these champions are also masters of a much greater power: Aura." The woman announcer from the first episode explained as an silhouette of Ruby swinging her scythe was shown, along with a boy with a yellow monkey tail running, jumping and flipping to land to the right side of the screen, Ren appearing to the left in some form of crane stance, before the screen behind them went black, the silhouettes turning white and an intense energy of pink, red and yellow surrounded Ren, Ruby and the newcomer respectively.  
**

"We know what aura is. It's like an internal force connected to the soul that protects you like a force-field or heals wounds." Spider-Man said.

"Or maybe there's more to it. Pyrrha was explaining it to Jaune, she had to do A LOT of simplifying." Tony said.

"I'm wondering who the monkey kid is. Something tells me I'd like him." Clint said.

"Because you're always monkeying around?" Hulk teased, Hawkeye fake-laughing in response.

 **"Aura is a manifestation of the soul, a life force that runs through every living creature on Remnant, whether they are a meager shopkeep or a renowned knight. However, what sets true warriors apart from all others is their ability to amplify and control their Aura." She explained as a black silhouette with an orange aura worked on a blade, before handing it to a white silhouette with red aura, who raised the blade to the sky, his aura flowing around him much more than it was for the other figure.  
**

"So, everyone has it, but not everyone can use or control it, just like Jaune couldn't at the beginning." Cap analyzed.

"It must be something that has to be taught, or unlocked, like what Pyrrha did for Jaune." Widow theorized.

"Yet is seems certain people have more than others, as Pyrrha stated Jaune had much aura, while we can assume those criminals working for Torchwick and 'Junior' likely had little to none." Thor added.

 **"Aura is primarily used as a defensive mechanism. Passively coating the wielder in a protective force field, it can protect a combatant from what would normally be a fatal blow. It does not, however, make the user invincible. As they receive more and more damage, their Aura reserve will deplete. If this happens, all the fighter will be left with is his resolve. Fortunately, when a fight turns gruesome, a warrior can also rely on their Aura in a different manner." She continued as a red and blue silhouette did battle with a black background.**

 **The blue silhouette slashed the red one, who fell to his side, but after glowing white for a moment, was on his feet and soon defeated his opponent. However, the white glow soon faded and the red figure was attacked by several beowulves, who piled on and pinned the figure, before a yellow beam rose from under them and blasted them away, before the whole screen became yellow, which became the background.  
**

"Stops fatal blows and heals some wounds. But eventually it runs out. Good to know. Now what's that different manner she was talking about?" Clint asked.

"This must be the 'Semblance' we just heard of." Cap said.

"I'm guessing it's like their own superpower." Tony said.

"Ruby's got speed, Weiss has the glyphs, Blake has her shadows and Pyrrha's is polarity." Peter recapped.

"And Yang's is red eyes and fiery hair that makes her super strong!" Hulk said.

"You know what they say about assuming, big guy." Hawkeye said.

"He's right. That could be a part of it, but not the full thing." Widow agreed.

"Never assume you know all someone is capable of, Hulk. It may spell doom for you one day." Thor added.

 **"'Semblance' is a term used to describe the projection of Aura into a more tangible form. For some this could be the ability to control objects with telekinesis. For others it could mean superhuman strength. The power associated with a wielder's Semblance is completely unique. With enough training and focus, a user's Aura can turn them into something much more than just a man." She finished as the purple form of Glynda Goodwitch was seen spinning rocks with telekinesis, throwing one into the screen, which Yang destroyed with a leaping uppercut, before she disappeared and Blake took her spot, creating a clone of her, before they both crouched and ninja jumped away. Weiss was also seen creating ice, Ruby zoomed by in a burst of speed and Ozpin simply stood at the end, sipping from his mug.  
**

"Ha! See? Yang's is super strength!" Hulk laughed.

"But there may be more to it than that." Tony said.

"I'm wondering what Ozpin's semblance could possibly be that makes him 'more than a man'." Widow wondered.

"With all the powers we know of and even more we don't, I doubt we'd even figure out an answer." Cap said.

"I'm sure we'll find out soon enough. No use worrying about what we don't know." Hawkeye said.

"Weren't you just demanding to know Pyrrha's a second ago?" Peter asked.

"That was when it was thrown right in our faces. This one, we don't have the faintest clue about and it doesn't seem like they plan on telling us any time soon." Clint explained.

"I'm sure we'll find out what it is in the future, but we'll have to keep watching, so let's get back to it." Widow said, starting the next episode.

* * *

 **A/N: And done! Another chapter down! I hope you all enjoyed it! And, just as a reminder, my good friend blackheart0009 has made a story of Class 1-A watching RWBY titled: Finding Remnants of Heroes, so go check that out if you haven't already, it's awesome. This chapter came out later than normal, I apologize and again, I hope you all enjoyed it and the bonus World of Remnant episode. This felt like the best place to put it, since we see examples of aura in this and the concept of semblances for the first time.**

 **Weiss speaks of her family business in the next episode, so I'm thinking of putting the WoR about the Schnee Dust Company there, but can any of you think of a better place to put said episode, since Weiss tries to defend and make the company seem sympathetic in the episode, so maybe that isn't the proper place for it. Let me know your thoughts in the reviews.  
**

 **But again, I really hope you enjoy this chapter and I'll try to get the next one out as soon as possible! Until next time!**


	15. Episode 9: The Stray

"Alright. The next episode. The Stray." Natasha read.

"Ooh, sounds mysterious." Peter said eagerly.

"Only one way to find out." Tony said, playing the episode.

* * *

 **A** **n overview of the streets of Vale was shown, being decorated in time for the Vytal Festival. Red, yellow, and green streamers and balloons were proudly on display and Team RWBY iwas strolling through it all with an awed Weiss in the front. A sign was being put up by the elderly Shopkeep that read in bright red letters "WELCOME TO VALE!" for all the foreign newcomers from their respective kingdoms of Remnant.**

"Huh. Looks like some big party of festival's going on." Tony said.

"Good. There's great foods at festivals!" Hulk said, drooling a bit.

"Easy there, big guy. You know we can't go, right?" Peter said.

 **"The Vytal Festival! Oh, this is absolutely wonderful!"** **Weiss said excitedly, stopping and raising her arms in amazement.**

 **"I don't think I've ever seen you smile this much, Weiss." Ruby said, frowning a little. "It's kinda weirding me out..." She said.  
**

"Yeah, I'm used to her being an uptight brat." Hawkeye said.

"Everyone gets excited about something." Widow said.

 **Weiss turned to Ruby. "How could you not smile? A festival dedicated to the cultures of the world! There will be dances! Parades! A tournament! Oh, the amount of planning and organization that goes into this event is simply breathtaking!" She explained as they continued walking.**

 **"You really know how to take a good thing and make it sound boring."** **Yang sighed, arms crossed.**

 **"Quiet, you!" Weiss snapped.  
**

The Avengers chuckled at this. "It's exactly like what I feel when Thor talks about Asgard." Tony said.

"Hold your tongue, Stark! Asgard is steeped in righteous traditions, born from years of glorious conquest!" Thor boasted.

"Yep. Nothing we haven't heard a million times, buddy." Tony said.

"Come on, Tony. Thor's proud of where he comes from. Weiss is, too. It's nice to see what we have in common with them." Cap said.

 **"Remind me again why we're spending our Friday afternoon visiting the stupid docks?"** **Yang asked as they stop neared the docks and the sounds of foghorns were heard.**

 **"Ugh, they smell like fish!"** **Ruby groaned, covering her nose.**

"Oh, don't I know that feeling. And the bad guys just LOVE hanging around there." Peter groaned, having endured the smell of fish many times battling villains at the docks.

"That's probably why. No one wants to hang around the smell of fish, so they stay away, so the villains can work." Hawkeye explained.

 **"I've heard that students visiting from Vacuo will be arriving by ship today. And, as a representative of Beacon, I feel as though it is my solemn duty to welcome them to this fine kingdom!" Weiss explained.  
**

"That's oddly nice of her to do for total strangers. Maybe she's finally starting to be nicer." Cap said.

"Or she has ulterior motives." Natasha said.

"My votes on the latter." Tony said.

 **"She wants to spy on them so she'll have the upper hand in the tournament."** **Blake corrected as Weiss started walking away again.**

 **Weiss scoffed at this. "You can't prove that!" She said.  
**

"But you didn't deny it." Widow said with a smirk.

"Darn. I was really hoping she was getting better." Steve said.

"Baby steps, Cap. I'm sure she'll get there one day." Clint said.

 **Ruby turned her head to the right. "Whoa." She said as the team looked at a shattered window down the street and a door full of yellow caution tape of the Vale Police Force before walking over to the detective in front, who was writing on his pad. "What happened here?" She asked.  
**

 **"Robbery. Second Dust shop to be hit this week. This place is turning into a jungle."** ** **The detective explained as he** walked over to his partner.**

"Looks like crime's been on the rise, there." Peter said grimly.

"Everywhere has some kind of problem." Tony said.

 **"That's terrible."** **Yang sighed sadly.**

 **"They left all the money again."** **The second detective said off screen, to his partner.**

 **"Huh?"** **Ruby questioned, turning her head when she heard this.**

"Torchwick." Hulk said.

"Indeed. He did seem to fit that motive. There aren't many that do not take currency when stealing." Thor said.

"Impressive. You two are actually putting in detective work." Widow said.

"We can be smart sometimes." Hulk said.

"Indeed. I am the prince of Asgard, I must be decently knowledgeable in things of this nature." Thor added.

 **"Yeah, just doesn't make a lick of sense. Who needs that much Dust?"** **Detective #1 asked.**

 **"I don't know, an army?"** **Detective #2 guessed.**

 **"You thinking the White Fang?"** **Detective #1 suggested.**

 **"Yeah, I'm thinking we don't get paid enough."** **Detective #2 said, removing his sunglasses.**

"Really, guys? I think you got bigger things to worry about right now than your wallet." Spider-Man said, narrowing his eyes at them.

"If they aren't focusing on the main problem, they'll probably miss important evidence." Cap agreed.

 **"Hmph! The White Fang." Weiss huffed, crossing her arms and pointing her nose in the air with her eyes closed. "What an awful bunch of degenerates!" She condemned the group.  
**

 **"What's your problem?" Blake asked pointedly.  
**

 **Weiss turned to her. "My problem? I simply don't care for the criminally insane." She said.  
**

"Something tells me it goes beyond that." Hawkeye said.

"Yeah. It was just a guess, but she's more than ready to pin it on them." Widow agreed.

 **"The White Fang is hardly a bunch of psychopaths." Blake countered, crossing her arms, getting serious. "They're a collection of misguided Faunus." She corrected.  
**

 **"Misguided? They want to wipe Humanity off the face of the planet!" Weiss exclaimed.  
**

 **"So then they're very misguided. Either way, it doesn't explain why they would rob a Dust shop in the middle of downtown Vale!" Blake snapped.  
**

"So, they are like Magneto and his goons, rather than HYDRA." Peter said.

"Yeah, but Magneto and the White Fang are only vilifying themselves and giving the people a reason to fear and fight them." Cap said.

 **"Hmm... Blake's got a point. Besides, the police never caught that Torchwick guy I ran into a few months ago... Maybe it was him." Ruby interjected.  
**

 **"That still doesn't change the fact that the White Fang are a bunch of scum." Weiss dismissed, to Blake's growing anger. "Those Faunus only know how to lie, cheat, and steal." She ranted.  
**

"Oh, come on, Weiss! We were past this!" Tony groaned.

"I'm beginning to suspect Weiss harbors ill feelings towards the Faunus." Thor said.

"In other words: she's racist." Hulk growled. He is friends with a handful of both mutants and inhumans and despises how people treat them, some people still even treating him with fear and disdain.

 **"That's not necessarily true..." Yang said.  
**

 **"Hey, stop that Faunus!" A sailor shouted off screen.  
**

 **As the team overheard the cry for help and rushed over to investigate, a Faunus with a golden monkey tail named Sun Wukong was seen running down the length of the boat and leaping on to the edge as the two sailors were about to apprehend him.**

"Hey, that must be the monkey tail kid from the aura short." Hawkeye said.

"I'm guessing he snuck onto that boat." Cap said.

 **Sun looked back at his pursuers. "Thanks for the ride, guys! Haha!" He laughed as he jumped off and hit the dock running.**

 **"You no-good stowaway!" Another sailor snapped.  
**

 **Sun used his tail to hang on a lamppost while he peeled back a banana. "Hey! A no-good stowaway would've been caught! I'm a great stowaway!" He corrected.**

"Well, technically they did catch you. We'll call him a decent stowaway to be fair." Widow said.

Hawkeye chuckled at Sun's antics. "Gotta say, I like the kid's style." He said.

"Yeah. Not helping any stereotypes, though, when the first thing he does is pull out a banana." Spider-Man said.

 **But before he could eat, one of the detectives down below threw a stone at him to get his attention.**

 **"Hey! Get down from there this instant!" The detective ordered.  
**

 **Sun dropped the banana peel on the detective's face, who growled in return. The monkey-like Faunus twirled up to crouch on the lamppost, laughing in amusement and proceeded to leap off and run away from the detectives. As he ran past Team RWBY, he winked at an astonished Blake in slow motion before time sped up again and he continued to be chased by the officers.**

"I like this kid." Tony said.

"Of course you would." Cap said.

 **"Well, Weiss, you wanted to see the competition, and there it goes..."** **Yang said, watching the Faunus get farther and farther away.**

 **"Quick! We have to observe him!"** **Weiss ordered, holding up a finger.**

 **Weiss, Yang, and Ruby gave chase. Blake stood still, lost in thought, then came back to reality and followed her friends.**

"Wow. He's already got Blake charmed." Hawkeye said.

"Kid's got game." Tony said.

 **The team rounded the next corner, but then Weiss bumped into someone and tripped. She looked up only to see Sun jump on to a building and disappear from her view.**

 **"No, he got away!" Weiss whined.  
**

 **"Uhh... Weiss?" Yang got the heiress' attention before she pointed strangely at the girl underneath her teammate.**

"You'd think she'd notice that earlier." Widow said.

"Indeed. Young Weiss must learn to pay more attention to her surroundings." Thor agreed.

 **Weiss finally saw that she fell on a smiling girl, which startled the heiress and she hastily got up.**

 **"Sal-u-ta-tions!"** **The girl greeted, still down on the ground, smiling widely.**

 **"Um... hello." Ruby greeted awkwardly.  
**

"She knows she can get off the ground now, right?" Peter asked.

"Honestly, I'm not sure." Cap said.

 **"Are you... okay?" Yang asked.  
**

 **"I'm wonderful! Thank you for asking." The girl confirmed.  
**

 **The team looked at each other in bewilderment before Yang spoke up again. "Do you... wanna get up?" She asked again.  
**

"That should've been asked as soon as Weiss got off her." Tony said.

"This girl's a strange one." Hulk said.

 **The girl thought about this for a moment, before... "Yes!" She confirmed as she leapt back on her feet while the team stepped back a little. "My name is Penny! It's a pleasure to meet you!" She greeted.  
**

"Penny. Cute name. But that's just my two-cents." Hawkeye chuckled.

"But... A penny is one cent." Thor said, confused.

"Don't worry, Thor. I don't think anyone else was laughing either." Peter said.

 **"Hi Penny. I'm Ruby." Ruby introduced herself.  
**

 **"I'm Weiss." The heiress gave her introduction.  
**

 **"Blake." Blake announced her name.  
**

 **"Are you sure you didn't hit your head?" Yang asked, but Blake hit her side. "Oh, I'm Yang." She introduced herself.  
**

"I don't know, that was a valid question if you ask me." Tony said.

"But it was still rude." Cap told him.

 **"It's a pleasure to meet you!" Penny repeated.  
**

 **"You already said that." Weiss said.  
**

 **Penny paused again, before... "So I did!" She confirmed.  
**

"Okay, this girl's got some screws loose." Hawkeye said.

"Definitely missing a few gears." Natasha agreed.

 **"Well, sorry for running into you!" Weiss apologized as they turned around and started walking away.**

 **"Take care, friend!"** **Ruby said her farewell, waving her arm.**

 **"She was... weird..."** **Yang said when they got far enough away from a startled Penny.**

 **"Now, where did that Faunus riff-raff run off to?"** **Weiss wondered, looking to her right.**

"Again, Weiss?! Come on!" Peter groaned.

"This brat's making me mad." Hulk growled.

"Ignoring her intolerance, the boy had no doubt escaped by now. Tracking him without a beast would be nearly impossible." Thor said.

 **"What did you call me?"** **Penny asked, suddenly in front of a surprised Weiss.**

"WHAT THE!?" All the Avengers said at once.

"But- but..! She was just behind them! Now she's in front of them! Without passing them! How?!" Peter rambled.

"Maybe she has a teleporting semblance?" Tony asked, slightly bewildered.

 **"Oh, I'm really sorry, I definitely didn't think you heard me!"** **Yang apologized as Weiss looked back and forth in shock.**

 **"No, not you." Penny dismissed, walking through the group and leaning her head down to Ruby. "You!" She said.**

 **This left Ruby startled "Me? I-I don't know. I, what I, um, uh..." She stammered.**

"I don't remember Ruby calling her anything." Widow said.

"She said 'have a good day, friend'..." Cap repeated, before they all realized.

"Oh, great. She's gonna be one of those characters crazy and desperate for a friend." Hawkeye said.

 **"You called me 'friend'! Am I really your friend?" Penny asked hopefully.**

 **"Uuuum..." Ruby said unsurely. She looked over Penny's shoulder while her teammates motioned to deny her** (A few Avengers as well: Tony, Hawkeye, Hulk and Widow). **"Y-Yeah, sure! Why not?" She confirmed.**

 **Ruby's teammates comically fainted, but Penny looked overjoyed and laughed. "Sen-sational! We can paint our nails, and try on clothes, and talk about cute boys!" She said excitedly.**

"Huh. That sounds pretty familiar." Peter said.

"When Ruby and Weiss first met." Cap confirmed.

 **"Oh, is this what it was like when you met me?"** **Ruby groaned to Weiss as she brushed herself off.**

 **"No - she seems far more coordinated." Weiss explained.  
**

"Coordinated? She had to ask if she wanted to get up off the ground!" Tony said.

"She might be basing it on how Penny didn't panic and trip up on her words. Or how she sprang back to her feet like that." Widow guessed.

 **"So... what are you doing in Vale?" Yang asked.**

 **"I'm here to fight in the tournament." Penny answered.**

 **"Wait, you're fighting in the tournament?" Weiss questioned.**

 **"I'm combat ready!"** **Penny confirmed, saluting.**

"Heh. Cute catchphrase." Hawkeye chuckled.

"I like that confidence." Cap said with a smile.

"Indeed. One can have all the skill in the world, but without the confidence to use it, it is worthless." Thor said.

"But can she back it up?" Hulk asked.

 **"Forgive me, but you hardly look the part." Weiss said unsurely.**

 **"Says the girl wearing a dress." Blake said skeptically.**

 **"It's a combat skirt!"** **Weiss countered with her arms crossed.**

 **Ruby sped over to her skirt sister's side. "Yeah!" She confirmed. Weiss held out her hand and Ruby low-fived it.**

"Huh. I've never known anyone so proud to wear a skirt." Peter said.

"I certainly wouldn't be." Widow said. She'll tolerate them, but she really dislikes wearing skirts.

 **"Wait a minute."** ** **Weiss started, realization hitting as she** walk over to Penny and grabbed her by the shoulders. "If you're here for the tournament, does that mean you know that monkey-tailed... rapscallion?" She asked.**

 **"The who...?" Penny asked.**

 **"The filthy Faunus from the boat!"** **Weiss shrieked, holding up a poor drawing of the criminal-in-question.**

"An artist she is not." Hawkeye said.

"That looks like it's supposed to be an offensive caricature. Or a bad mug shot." Cap said.

"And she's really getting on my nerves." Hulk grumbled.

 **"Why do you keep saying that?!"** **Blake demanded off-screen.**

 **"Huh?"** **Weiss asked, turning her attention from Penny to Blake.**

 **"Stop calling him a rapscallion! Stop calling him a degenerate! He's a person!"** **Blake said angrily, walking over to Weiss.**

 **"Oh, I'm sorry." Weiss said as she released Penny. "Would you like me to stop referring to the trash can as a trash can? Or this lamppost as a lamppost?" She questioned** **a she motioned to objects around her.**

"Jeez! Even Cap's generation wasn't this racist." Tony said.

"It didn't matter what race you were back in the war. You were American, so you were welcome." Cap recollected.

"Indeed. Asgardians come in many shapes, sizes and colors, but they're still Asgardians and as such, brothers in arms." Thor agreed.

"We all know it, someone just needs to teach Weiss. Maybe with a good smack upside the head, though." Peter said, getting quite annoyed with Weiss' attitude.

 **"Stop it!" Blake snapped.**

 **"Stop what? He clearly broke the law. Give him time; he'll probably join up with those other Faunus in the White Fang!" Weiss argued.**

 **Blake growled, clenching her fist. "You ignorant little brat!" She shouted.**

"Finally, someone said it." Clint said.

"The guy stowed away on a boat, it's not like he killed anyone." Tony said, rolling his eyes.

"Exactly. Just because he did one wrong thing doesn't mean he'll join up with terrorists." Widow said.

 **Weiss looked offended, but when Blake walked away, she followed. "How dare you talk to me like that! I am your teammate!" She snapped.**

 **"You are a judgmental little girl." Blake countered.**

 **"What in the world makes you say that?" Weiss demanded.**

 **"The mere fact that you would sort that Faunus boy with a terrorist group solely based on his species makes you just as much of a scoundrel as you believe him to be!" Blake ranted.**

"Indeed. Calling young Weiss' judgement harsh would be kind at this point." Thor said.

"Something may have happened to make her like this, but that doesn't justify her behavior towards all Faunus." Cap said.

 **"Um, I think we should probably go..."** **Yang said, sliding up to Ruby, looking uncomfortable.**

 **"Where are we going?"** **Penny asked, popping up behind Ruby, smiling.**

"I don't think you're coming along this time, Penny." Peter said.

"Why would you want to at this point?" Clint asked.

"We already know she's pretty oblivious, but people angrily yelling at each other should be a sign to disappear." Tony said.

 **"So you admit it! The White Fang is just a radical group of terrorists!" Weiss countered.**

 **"That's not what I meant, and you know it!" Blake snapped.**

"Maybe you should just drop this conversation before you say something you'll regret." Cap said.

"Or hurt each other. Even if Weiss deserves it." Hulk said.

* * *

 **As Yang and Ruby continued to observe, the scene shifted from afternoon near the docks to nighttime in their dorm room.**

 **"I don't understand why this is causing such a problem!" Weiss said.**

 **"That is the problem!" Blake shouted.  
**

"Okay, this is OFFICIALLY too long for any one argument to last." Tony said.

"What about when we had that civil war?" Cap asked.

"That was a number of separate arguments and we resolved it in the end." Tony explained.

"Well, hopefully, they'll resolve this." Widow said.

 **"You realize you are defending an organization that hates Humanity, don't you? The Faunus of the White Fang are pure evil!"** **Weiss questioned, getting up from her bed.**

 **"There's no such thing as pure evil! Why do you think they hate Humanity so much? It's because of people like Cardin, people like you, that force the White Fang to take such drastic measures!"** **Blake explained, getting on her feet as well.**

"This is starting to sound more and more like Magneto's brotherhood of mutants." Spider-Man said.

 **"People like me?" Weiss asked.**

 **"You're discriminatory!" Blake told her.**

 **"I'm a victim!" Weiss countered.**

This caught the Avengers off-guard, causing them to lean in and listen closely.

 **As they stared each other down in silence, Weiss leaned in close, leering. "You want to know why I despise the White Fang? Why I don't particularly trust the Faunus?" She asked quietly, before leaning against the bookshelf by the window. "It's because they've been at war with my family for years. War, as in actual bloodshed. My grandfather's company has had a target painted across its back for as long as I can remember. And ever since I was a child, I've watched family friends disappear; board members executed; an entire train car full of Dust, stolen. And every day, my father would come home, furious. And that made for a very difficult childhood." She explained as she banged her fist on the bookshelf.**

The Avengers were a bit sympathetic at this. Clint and Hulk had abusive fathers, so they knew about when dads got angry. And when Tony's company sold weapons, he was frequently berated, criticized and verbally assaulted by harsh media. And now that his technology was becoming so advanced, it seemed like someone tried to steal it every week. "Okay, so maybe she does have some reason to complain." Tony said.

"Maybe, but not to the point she can scream and condemn all Faunus like that." Widow said.

"Yeah. Remember when they first got to Beacon, Blake called out Weiss' company for having controversial labor forces. That probably means Faunus working cheap in dangerous conditions. They probably have a few reasons to complain." Peter added.

"Both side has it rougher than the other realizes, but both of them are taking it too far and treating the other way too harshly. I don't think anyone's right in this situation." Cap said.

 **"Weiss, I-"** **Ruby started, going over to comfort her.**

 **"No!" Weiss snapped, turning away and walking back over to Blake. "You want to know why I despise the White Fang? It's because they're a bunch of liars, thieves, and murderers!" She yelled at the black-haired girl.  
**

 **"Well maybe we were just tired of being pushed around!" Blake shouted back.**

"What?!" The Avengers all said at once, shocked.

"Blake's a Faunus? But how? She doesn't look like she has animal parts." Peter said.

"She must be hiding some ears under her bow. I called it from the start." Tony said.

 **Silence dropped down on the scene again. A surprised Weiss backed away slowly and Blake realized her mistake as she looked around at her teammates.**

 **"I... I..." She stuttered, before she dashed out the door.**

 **"Blake, wait! Come back!" Ruby called after her teammate as she ran over to the door and looked down the hallway as Yang sat herself down and Weiss looked down.**

"Running's only going to make things worse." Cap said.

"She just revealed her biggest secret to a team of people that trusted her. Hiding something that big from people that close to you, especially with someone clearly against them like Weiss, is scary. She panicked, so of course she ran." Widow said.

"Let's just hope they can get her back." Hulk said.

* * *

 **Blake ran outside and arrived at a statue of an armored man with a sword and a hooded woman wielding an axe on an outcropping, staring at the Beowolf under the stone heroes in particular.**

"Poor Blake. She must feel like she's all alone right now." Spider-Man said.

"Indeed. Young Blake is clearly dealing with many emotions." Thor said, feeling sorry for her.

 **She closed her eyes and slowly lifted her arms up to her bow and pulled the string to release the bow from her hair. She wiped away a tear away as the camera pulled up to reveal her Faunus ears.**

"There they are. Just like I said." Tony smirked.

"Alright, Stark. We get it. You were right. This is a sad scene, don't ruin it." Hawkeye said,

 **On the verge of crying, she became startled when she heard a voice above her.**

 **"I knew you would look better without the bow."** **Sun said off-screen as** **Blake turned around and looked up.**

* * *

 **The scene shifted to morning at Beacon. Ruby woke up from her beauty sleep, yawning in the process. She looked over at Blake's empty bunk and groaned sadly.**

"She's still gone?" Cap said worriedly.

"Then she's been missing all night and no one knows where she is. That's concerning." Widow said, also concerned.

* * *

 **The scene then shifted again to Ruby, Weiss, and Yang walking through the empty streets of Vale.**

 **"She's been gone all weekend..." Ruby said sadly.**

 **"Blake's a big girl, I'm sure she can handle herself!" Weiss dismissed.**

"She's still a teenager in the city, alone at night with criminals running around robbing stores and people." Tony said.

"Not to mention, she's your friend and teammate. That should mean something." Hawkeye said.

 **"Weiss, come on. She's one of our teammates." Yang told her.  
**

 **"Is she? We all heard what she said!" Weiss countered.**

"She said she and the other Faunus were tired of being pushed around. And if what she said a while ago was true, your company does a good bit of the pushing." Peter said.

"Yeah. You're not as innocent as you think." Hulk said.

 **"Weiss." Ruby started.**

 **"Maybe she is, maybe she isn't. Either way, she's missing, and we need to find her!" Yang reasoned.**

 **"A member of the White Fang! Right underneath our noses!" Weiss cried out.**

 **"I just hope she's okay..." Ruby said worriedly.**

"We all do, Ruby. We all do." Cap said, the other Avengers nodding.

* * *

 **Elsewhere, Blake was sipping a cup of tea and sighing. She looked up at Sun sitting across from her, who held his drink with his tail as his hand propped his head up. He took a sip when Blake put her cup down.**

"Heh. That's pretty clever. Putting that tail to good use." Hawkeye said.

"This is good. Having a cup of tea and talking to someone like her may help her calm down and be able to go back to her team." Widow said.

"Let's hope so." Cap said.

 **"So, you want to know more about me..." Blake said as s** **he looked at him intently as the screen faded to black.**

* * *

"So, that's it... We knew Blake had some kind of criminal past when she helped Adam rob Weiss' train, but it turns out she was part of the White Fang and was a faunus all this time." Cap said.

"I mean, it's a good thing she gave up that life and started over, but I can't believe she hid the fact she was a faunus this whole time. That had to be rough. Especially when Cardin was talking trash about the faunus earlier." Tony said.

"And Weiss definitely wasn't helping, either." Hulk said.

"Still, she was willing to defend their actions. That means she still sympathizes with them, at least to some degree." Widow said.

"Well, to be fair, we did see them being treated pretty harshly in that World of Remnant piece. And it sounds like Blake's gonna share more of her experiences in the future, so we'll probably see them being treated even harsher." Spider-Man said.

"But still, if this group is as bad as Weiss makes them out to be, leaving them takes a lot of guts. They'll probably be looking for her. Adam definitely." Hawkeye said.

"Indeed. Young Blake saw the error of her ways and left despite the dangers. She may once have been misguided, but I believe she is now on the right path." Thor said.

"But all this time, we just assumed Weiss was just a brat because she was rich and spoiled. But it turns out she actually did have it rough despite being rich." Peter said.

"Yeah, but most of us have had it just as hard, if not worse and we all turned out fine. She needs to know there are always people that have it worse. Her father may come home angry because of a bad day, but there are kids who don't have fathers, or that are having bad lives." Cap said.

"Or they have parents that do nothing but beat and abuse them." Hawkeye said, thinking of his own family. "Her dad might be bad, but the only scar we see on her came from that giant suit of armor.

"So, let's see how they wrap this up and come back together." Widow said.

"Wait. Another World of Remnant." Hulk said, pointing to the screen as the extra feature played.

* * *

 **World of Remnant  
**

 **SCHNEE DUST COMPANY**

"Well, looks like we might get a little more info to help our decision here." Hawkeye said.

"There's nothing left to decide. Like I said, they both have done wrong. Still, a little more info might be helpful." Cap said.

 **"Alright, alright, what was I supposed to talk about next? Uh..." _The man from the Faunus WoR wondered as he flipped through some pages._ **

"Hey, it's that other guy again!" Tony said with a smirk. He didn't know the character yet, but he already felt like they'd get along.

"He didn't sound like the guy to have all the details, but he did keep it simple and easy to understand. I can appreciate that." Peter said.

 ** _He apparently found what he was looking for, because he soon got excited._ "** **Oh! Oh-ho-ho-hooo boy! Yeah, okay! I've got a few words to say about this one." _He laughed, speaking in a mischievous tone._  
**

"This oughta be good." Hulk chuckled.

"Let's just hope he doesn't let his opinions get in the way. He sounds like someone who could do that." Widow said.

 **"The Schnee Dust Company. Bunch of self-entitled, monopolizing, S-N-O-Bs, who only care about making a profit, no matter how many little people they gotta step on to make it happen." _He explained, Weiss' family emblem appearing on the screen, before being scribbled over in red marker, before the man cleared his throat and the red scribbling was wiped away._ "But, uh, that's just my opinion." _He said, the emblem turning and being replaced with a blue Dust crystal.  
_**

"These people do not enspire confidence so far." Thor said.

"But he's also letting his opinion do the talking, not the facts." Cap said.

 **"As you all know, survival on the world of Remnant depends almost entirely on a crystallized substance known as Dust. It powers our cities, fuels our machines and gives us a fighting chance against the creatures of Grimm. Which means it's extremely valuable. Nowadays, it's almost impossible to buy Dust products without the Schnee company snowflake stamped on the box. But it didn't always used to be that way." _He explained as a city appearing in the bottom right corner, a bullhead airship in the upper left and a woman wielding fire and ice in the bottom left, before they all came together with the crystal to form an L-shaped dollar-like symbol._  
**

"So they've got a solid hold on the market. That's monopolizing, isn't it?" Peter asked.

"Could be, but Remnant may not have laws on that like we do." Tony said.

 **"Nicholas Schnee was the son of a Dust miner turned soldier, born just after the Great War, and found himself at the perfect point in history to take full advantage of the world's next industrial revolution. The Kingdom of Mantle, soon to be Atlas, was in a transformative period. They found themselves on the forefront of technology, but realized they'd depleted nearly all of their natural resources to do so." _He continued as a red Dust crystal spun and became a vial of red powder, which became a Dust bullet, which became the Schnee snowflake, which fell alongside many other snowflakes, descending on a well-built man with a scarf in front of a city, likely Atlas.  
_**

"That's always the problem. Trying to balance resources and technological advances that require those resources." Hawkeye said.

"We've gotta find better alternative sources." Widow said.

"We're working on it all the time" Tony said. Him and Peter both do a lot to create new forms of energy, along with several other top scientists.

 **"That's where Old Nick came in. Rather than watch his Kingdom become dependent on the aid of others, young Nicholas Schnee decided to spend his days at combat school, his nights working alongside his father in the dwindling Mantle mines, and anytime in between learning everything he could about anything he didn't know. Heh. Kid had a fire in his belly." _He went on as images of Nick training with a sword and revolver, mining with a pickaxe and studying diligently are displayed.  
_**

"I like this guy." Hulk said.

"Indeed. This Nicholas seems like a great man and an excellent warrior!" Thor said.

 **"When his father died, he left his son everything he had. It wasn't much, but it was enough for Nick to set his plan into action. He left school, rallied all the men he could afford, and set out on an expedition to find a Dust deposit that could revitalize his Kingdom. And wouldn't you know, he actually pulled it off." _He explained as Nick was seen standing over a grave, before venturing forth with a few other miners as snow blew in, before a gold dust crystal is seen, enlarging and moving to the middle of the now-black screen with the Schnee emblem inside the crystal.  
_**

"Impressive. It's amazing what one man with a dream can do." Cap said.

"That's what we call innovating, Steve." Tony said.

 **"Fast forward just a few years and the name Schnee suddenly meant something: quality, affordability, trust. See, all those years spent in combat school was so that Nick could personally oversee every new expedition. People appreciate a man who's willing to stick his neck out for them, and it's how the Schnee Dust Company earned the business of every Kingdom in Remnant." _He elaborated as the emblem appeared in Atlas on a map of Remnant and extended to several other places.  
_**

"This is a guy who could get behind." Hawkeye said.

"Yeah. Nice to have a guy who's there when things go bad." Peter agreed.

"You could maybe learn a thing or two, Tony." Widow teased.

"I don't do expeditions. I do inventing in a lab." Tony countered.

 **"Unfortunately, it's also what led to an early retirement. Nick had started a family that missed him, and his body was tired. Years of working in Dust mines could have some nasty side effects on your health. And so entered Jacques Gelè. Having married into the family, Jacques decided to take the Schnee name over his own. He was... a lot of words I shouldn't repeat. But most importantly, he was a cunning businessman." _He recounted as Nick dropped to one knee, supporting himself with his sword, reaching out as a man slid onto screen with his hand out, Nick disappearing and a woman sliding in to join the man, now named Jacques, with a bouquet in her hands, the two kissing as a disgusted cartoon face appeared beside Jacques, sticking its tongue out as a devil tail and stink lines were drawn on him.  
_**

The Avengers chuckled a bit at the rude artwork, but glared at this shady newcomer. "So, Nick was Weiss' and grandfather and the GOOD Schnee. This must be her father." Cap assessed.

"So he's the reason Weiss is terrible. He needs to get smashed, then." Hulk said.

"Indeed. Even as a mere drawing, I have a bad feeling about this man." Thor said suspiciously.

 **"Jacques managed to convince Nicholas that he was the perfect man to run the SDC in his place. And from a certain point of view, he was right. Under Jacques' leadership, the Schnee Dust Company has become more profitable than ever, completely dominating the industry, but at the cost of the company's soul." _He retold as Jacques was now on a platform, an arrow on a chart behind him climbing in red and Dust crystals rose around him.  
_**

"So this guy is where everything went wrong." Widow said with a glare.

"Say what you will about what is or was wrong with my company, but I make sure we're still reliable and have a soul." Tony said.

 **"Cheap labor, dangerous working conditions, doing whatever it takes to destroy the competition, Jacques Schnee doesn't care about people. He cares about winning. That and making sure he's got the best damn PR team in the world." _He explained as a ram_** ** _ ** _faunus was seen pushing a dust cart in the palm of Jacques' hand, before he crushed it._**_**

"How can he treat people like that?!" Peter demanded with a glare.

"One word, buddy: Greed." Hawkeye said bitterly.

"Even Loki is rarely so cruel!" Thor growled.

 **"The Schnee name still means something today... but, as for what it'll mean tomorrow, well, your guess is as good as mine." _He finished as the Schnee Emblem fell with many other snowflakes, before descending on a silhouette of Weiss, then fading to black.  
_**

"So, it's all up to Weiss." Tony said.

"And so far, it's not looking good." Hulk said.

"Then we'll just have to hope she gets better. Remember: she's trying to be a huntress. That means, deep down, she's trying to do the right thing." Cap said.

"Well, let's hope the ice queen can grow up and become a good little snow angel." Hawkeye said.

"We'll just have to wait and see." Widow said, starting the next episode.

* * *

 **A/N: Whew! Another chapter done! Finally! This was a long one. I hope you all enjoy it! This one was a little difficult. In any media outlet, racism is never something often touched upon by the Avengers, certainly not in the cartoon. There was the issue with the Inhumans at one point, but they're treated QUITE differently than the faunus, so there's little to no comparison. Still, I did my best, so I hope you all like it and look forward to the next chapter.  
**


	16. Episode 10: Black and White

"I can't believe Blake just ran away like that." Peter said.

"She was afraid. Fear can make you make bad decisions. Let's just see how they fix it." Widow said, starting the episode.

* * *

 **We come to the balcony café in the middle of Vale where Sun and Blake were seen last episode drinking tea.**

 **"Finally, she speaks! Nearly two days and you gave me nothing but small talk and weird looks!" Sun said happily. Blake gave Sun a firm look. "Yeah, like that." He confirmed.**

"Looks like that mean shut up or get hurt." Natasha warned.

"I've seen it too many times not to recognize it." Clint said, earning him a slap from the former assassin sitting beside him.

 **Blake rolled her eyes before closing them and looking at him sadly. "Sun... Are you familiar with the White Fang?" She asked.**

 **"Of course! I don't think there's a Faunus on the planet who hasn't heard of them. Stupid, holier-than-thou creeps that use force to get whatever they want. Bunch of freaks, if you ask me!" Sun stated.**

"So, not all the faunus agree with the guys that wanna wipe out humanity. Good to know." Tony said.

"Everyone's got good and bad guys, no matter who or what you are." Peter said.

 **Blake sipped her drink while listening until she spoke up for the big reveal. "I was once a member of the White Fang." She confessed.**

 **Sun promptly went cross-eyed and choked on his drink, making him put it down and wipe his mouth as he held up a hand to process this information. "Wait a minute, you were a member of the White Fang?!" He asked in disbelief.**

 **"That's right. I was a member for most of my life, actually. You could almost say I was born into it..." She explained as she began her story.**

"Born into such an organization? How does that come about?" Thor asked.

"It sounds like she's about to explain. I'll admit. I'm curious as well." Cap said.

 **The scene shifted to a simple silhouetted flashback of fallen weapons plunged into the ground - swords, guns, any number of combinations.**

 **"Back then, things were different. In the ashes of war, the White Fang was meant to be a symbol of peace and unity between Humans and the Faunus." Blake explained off-screen.**

 **The audience was shown the dark outlines of two trios - animal-eared and tailed Faunus on one side, regular Humans on the other - shaking hands and making peace after their struggle. That did not last long, as seen by a white Faunus cowering in fear of the gray-and-black aggressors harassing the hybrid. Later, more Faunus were pushing the crowd away from their bullied brethren.**

"What a bunch of jerks. Think that because they're different, they can do what they want to them." Hulk growled, knowing all to well the feeling of being treated different for looking different and having Inhuman friends treated the same way.

"Like I said, everyone's got some bad ones, too. There are plenty of humans that definitely aren't shining examples for the rest of us." Spider-Man said.

 **"Of course, despite being promised equality, the Faunus were subjected to discrimination and hate. Humanity still thought of us as lesser beings. And so, the White Fang rose up as a voice of our people. And I was there." She continued.**

 **Silhouettes of Faunus protestors were revealed and emerging from the shadows is a young girl with dark hair and cat ears.**

"Aww. She looks cute as a kid. Even when angrily protesting." Hawkeye said.

"Way to demean her efforts, Clint. Being cute won't pressure people into listening to her cause." Widow said, although she did have to admit, Blake was cute as a child and she kind of wanted to pet Blake's cat ears. (Oh, I hope that wouldn't be offensive.) She thought.

"Maybe they'll listen because she's so cute? You never know. I've certainly done a lot for a cute face... when it was of age." Tony said.

 **"I was at the front of every rally. I took part in every boycott. I actually thought we were making a difference. But I was just a youthful optimist." She recalled.**

 **Cutting from the child version of Blake, the blue flag of a white wolf with sad eyes and a circle behind its head is lowered and raised in its stead is a red monster with three bloody scratches and teeth bared at the world.**

"I do not believe that image inspires equality and peace." Thor said.

"No. It's to inspire fear and hate." Cap said, narrowing his eyes.

 **"Then, five years ago, our leader stepped down, and a new one took his place. A new leader, with a new way of thinking." She explained.**

 **A quick series of images were shown - Faunus replacing their picket signs with axes and blades, windows being broken, thieves leaping on trains to steal their cargo.**

Hulk shook his head at this. "They're only hurting their image more that way." He said. There's been a number of times people have used the damages from the Avenger's battles to justify their fear and resentment towards him, so he does his best to stop other damages by holding up falling buildings or countering earthquakes when he can to improve his image.

 **"Suddenly, our peaceful protests were being replaced with organized attacks. We were setting fire to shops that refused to serve us, hijacking cargo from companies that used Faunus labor. And the worst part was, it was working. We were being treated like equals. But not out of respect... out of fear." She said ominously.  
**

 **The flashback showed one more image of three Faunus individuals standing in a dominating manner with malicious grins until Blake put down her teacup in front of a stunned Sun.**

"Well... That was disturbing." Tony said.

"If they want to be treated as equals, this isn't the way to go about it. They're only justifying the treatment against them." Steve said.

 **"So, I left. I decided I no longer wanted to use my skills to aid in their violence, and instead, I would dedicate my life to becoming a Huntress. So here I am: a criminal hiding in plain view, all with the help of a little black bow." She finished as she wiggled her cat ears beneath the fashionable disguise to demonstrate.**

"Aww. That's cute." Peter said.

"But it's also sad she thinks she has to hide that part of herself." Widow said.

 **"So... have you told your friends any of this?"** **Sun asked as he came to terms with this.**

 **Blake merely looked down in shame and said nothing.**

"No. She thought running from them was the better idea." Hawkeye said.

"She was scared. Fear makes you do crazy stuff." Hulk said.

* * *

 **"Blaaaake!" Ruby shouted.**

 **"Blaaaake!"** **Yang also called out.**

 **The scene transitioned to Ruby, Yang, and Weiss walking through town and calling in vain for their missing teammate.**

"Haven't they told the teachers?" Peter asked.

"No, because they'd have to explain why she ran off and reveal she is or was part of the White Fang, that could get her expelled. Or worse." Steve explained.

"Quite the dilemma team RWBY faces." Thor said.

 **"Blaaaaaaaake! Where aaaare yoooouuuu!?"** **Ruby continued to scream.**

 **"Blake!" Yang cried out.**

 **Ruby turned on Weiss. "Weiiiiss, you're not helping!" She whined.**

 **"Oh! You know what might be able to help? The police!" Weiss countered.**

"Yeah, tell the police their friend is part of the group they're looking for. Smart." Widow said sarcastically.

"And the fact she ran off after basically admitting she was part of that group? Former or current member, that's a bad idea." Hawkeye agreed.

 **"Ugh, Weiss..."** ** **Ruby groaned, crossing her arms in irritation.****

 **"It was just an idea!" Weiss said.**

 **"Yeah, a bad one."** **Ruby said, walking down the sidewalk.**

 **"Weiss, I think we should hear her side of the story before we jump to any conclusions."** **Yang reasoned as she followed behind Ruby.**

"Good. It's nice to see that some of them are willing to give her a chance." Cap said.

 **"I think that when we hear it, you'll all realize I was right!"** **Weiss countered again as she followed behind Yang.**

"And Weiss is ready to rub it in their faces. What a great teammate she's turning out to be." Tony said sarcastically.

"She's not just being a bad teammate, she's being a bad friend." Peter said.

 **"And I think Weiss' hair looks wonderful today!"** **Penny complimented as she followed behind Weiss.**

"What the?!" The Avengers all said at once, jumping slightly from the girl's sudden, unannounced appearance.

"Where'd she come from?!" Hulk asked.

"Wow. She'd give your stealth skills a run for their money, Nat." Clint said, earning another smack upside the head from the redhead.

 **"Aaaah! Penny! Where did you come from!?"** **Ruby screamed as she turned around suddenly with her team in surprise.**

 **"Hey guys! What are you up to?"** **Penny asked, cheerfully ignoring the question.**

"Uh, yeah... Didn't answer the question. And I want an answer." Spider-Man said.

"We all do, Spidey. We all do." Tony agreed.

 **"Uhh..." Ruby said unsurely.**

 **"We're looking for our friend Blake." Yang explained.**

 **"Ooooh, you mean the Faunus girl!" Penny realized.**

"She knew?!" They all asked in disbelief.

 **Ruby, Weiss, and Yang stared at Penny.** **"Wait, how did you know that?" Ruby asked in disbelief.**

 **"Uhh, the cat ears?" Penny answered, pointing to her head.**

 **Yang laughed a little. "What cat ears? She wears a... boooohhh..." She said as realization hit her.**

"She could tell there were cat ears under the bow the whole time? That makes her incredibly perceptive." Widow said.

"Even we only knew because we were shown her involvement in the White Fang. We didn't actually know she had cat ears. For this girl to instantly get it... Not gonna lie, I'm a little embarrassed." Tony said.

 **The realization left them in silence as a tumbleweed blew through in the wind.**

 **"She does like tuna a lot..."** **Ruby whispered.**

"Hey, there's nothing wrong with tuna! Especially in a sandwich." Tony said.

"Now I'm hungry." Hulk groaned.

"You're always hungry." Hawkeye said.

 **"So, where is she?" Penny asked.**

 **"We don't know. She's been missing since Friday." Ruby told her.**

 **Penny gasped. "That's terrible!" She said, approaching an uncomfortable Ruby. "Well, don't you worry Ruby, my friend! I won't rest until we find your teammate!" She said, holding Ruby's shoulders.**

 **Ruby did her best to continue smiling. "Uh, that's really nice of you, Penny, but we're okay! Really! Right, guys?"She asked, only to receive no answer.  
**

"They ditched her, didn't they?" Peter asked.

 **She looked over Penny to direct her question at Yang and Weiss, who's blinking outlines were all that's left of their sudden departure from the company of the strange girl. A tumbleweed blew past them again in the quiet.**

"Yep. Ditched her." Tony confirmed.

"It's like Yang can't stop ditching her. And Weiss certainly isn't keeping her promise of being the best teammate." Widow said.

 **"It sure is windy today!" Penny noted.**

"It really is." Peter agreed, chuckling a bit.

* * *

 **Sun and Blake were then seen walking down an alley.** **"So, what's the plan now?"** **Sun asked with his hands behind his head.**

 **"I still don't believe the White Fang is behind these robberies. They've never needed that much Dust before."** **Blake contemplated.**

"Considering this Dust is their most valuable, powerful weapon, I don't see why they wouldn't try to acquire as much as they could." Thor said.

"Right. It seems like it would be an obvious first step to attack. Get the best weapons you can." Cap agreed.

 **"What if they did?"** ** **Sun asked, widening his eyes.** "I mean... the only way to prove that they didn't do it, is to go to the place where they would most likely go to if they were to do it, and not find them there! Right?" ******He explained,** lowering his arms and pacing in front of Blake as he continued his theory. **

"That... actually makes sense. Maybe not in the way he said it, but what he meant." Hawkeye said.

"A stakeout. Smart idea." Widow praised.

"So, the kid really doesn't monkey around after all." Peter said with a smirk.

"Lame joke." Hulk said.

 **"The only thing is, I've no idea where that would be." She said.**

 **"Well, while I was on the ship, I heard some guys talking about offloading a huge shipment of Dust coming in from Atlas." He informed her.**

 **"How huge?" She asked.**

 **"Huge. Big Schnee Company freighter." He explained.**

"Well, we already know they don't like the Schnee's, so taking their stuff makes sense." Tony said.

"Getting weapons and payback on the Schnee. Killing two birds with one stone." Cap agreed.

 **"You're sure?" She asked again.**

"Time for a stakeout. These kids are almost acting like us. Except Blake's not as angry as you." Hawkeye said, this time avoiding Natasha's slap.

"And you're more of a monkey than he is." She countered.

* * *

 **"Thanks anyways!"** ** **Yang said as she came out of a shop with Weiss, waving to the person inside. She** sighed after closing the door. "This is hopeless." She said, looking at Weiss when she looked around nonchalantly. "You really don't care if we find her, do you?" She accused. **

**"Don't be stupid; of course I do. I'm just afraid of what she'll say when we find her." Weiss explained, walking forward. "The innocent never run, Yang!" She** **called over her shoulder.**

"Not true! We've had to go on the run several times!" Thor shouted.

"But we were always framed or wrongly accused. Blake was a White Fang member. She isn't now, but that might not change things." Widow said.

"Depends if Remnant has statute of limitations." Peter said. Everyone looked at him, to which he shrugged. "I've been hanging out with Daredevil lately." He explained.

 **Yang looked down in thought.**

"Don't let her make you doubt Blake, Yang. The best thing you can do for her is believe she's innocent." Cap said.

"Well, that and, you know, FIND HER." Tony added.

* * *

 **"So, Blake is your friend?" Penny asked.**

 **Ruby sighed as they made their way down the sidewalk. "Yes, Penny." She confirmed.**

 **"But you're mad at her?" Penny asked again.**

 **"Yes. Well, I'm not. Weiss is." Ruby answered.**

 **"Is she friends with Blake?" Penny continued her questions.  
**

 **"Well, that's kind of up in the air right now..." Ruby said unsurely.**

"Friendship can be a complicated thing." Peter said, knowing how hard it can be when friends argue and fight.

"Especially when you're trying to explain it to a girl who barely seems to know how to act human." Hawkeye added.

 **"But why?"** **Penny asked, trying to contemplate this.**

 **Ruby sighed again. "Well, you see, Blake might not be who we though she was..." She explained.**

 **Penny gasped "Is she a man?" She asked.**

Hawkeye, Peter and Tony burst out laughing at this, while the others facepalmed.

 **"No! No, Penny. She's..." Ruby started, but stopped and sighed. "I don't know what she is. She didn't exactly talk to us before she decided to run off."** **She informed, looking at Penny as she spoke now.**

 **"I don't have a lot of friends, but if I did, I would want them to talk to me about things." Penny said.**

 **Ruby turned her gaze downward sadly. "Me too..." She said as they continued walking.**

"Talking is the best way to handle any problems." Cap said.

"Indeed. I often wonder how many problems Loki and I could've solved if we simply spoke about them more." Thor said, thinking back to the many times his and Loki's relationship was effected up to the point he became evil and turned on Asgard.

* * *

 **Amidst the chirping of crickets and darkness of night, Blake laid flat on her stomach on the rooftop overlooking the shipment of Schnee Dust containers.**

 **"Did I miss anything?" Sun asked off-screen.  
**

 **"Not really. They've offloaded the crates from the boat. Now they're just sitting there."** ** **Blake said, looking up as Sun dropped down to her right.****

"Yep. The worst part about a stakeout is waiting around for something to happen." Hawkeye said.

"I'd say it's worse if they don't show up, then you wasted your whole night for nothing." Widow said.

 **"Cool." Sun said simply, holding out one of the green apples in his arms. "I stole you some food!" He offered.**

 **"Do you always break the law without giving a second thought?"** **Blake asked, giving Sun a questioning look.**

 **"Hey, weren't you in a cult or something?"** ** **Sun countered defensively.** Blake delivered an angry glare at him. "Okay, too soon!" He relented.**

"Way too soon." Peter agreed.

"Yeah, you're not gonna warm up to her like that, buddy. Trust me." Tony said.

 **Just as he said this, the winds blew all around them and they looked up to see a Bullhead's searchlights flashing around for a landing spot, descending in the middle of the cargo containers and extending a ramp for a black hooded individual with a metallic fanged mask to come out of.**

 **"Oh no..." Blake said.**

 **"Is that them?" Sun asked.**

 **"Yes... It's them."** **Blake confirmed, staring at the bloody wolf on the back of the man's outfit.**

"Yeah, that looks like the Emblem we saw before." Cap said.

"Hard to mistake something like that." Widow said.

 **"All right, grab the tow cables!"** **The White Fang Soldier ordered to the other White Fang members coming from the aircraft, motioning with his rifle.**

 **"You really didn't think they were behind it, did you?" Sun asked.**

 **"No. I think deep down I knew. I just didn't want to be right."** ** **Blake admitted, staring sadly at the scene.****

"Sometimes, the truth can be painful, but we need to accept it to be able to move on." Thor said.

"And they can start by taking them down!" Hulk said.

 ** **S** he closed her eyes in despair, only to open them suddenly when she heard a new voice. **

**"Hey! What's the holdup!?" Roman called out. The soldiers looked up at Roman gesturing widely and coming down the ramp. "We're not exactly the most inconspicuous bunch of thieves at the moment, so why don't you animals try to pick up the pace?" He asked.**

"Torchwick? What's he doing there? He's a human. The White Fang hates humans." Cap said.

"Calling them animals probably isn't doing him any favors, either." Tony added.

"Huh. So, Ruby was technically right. Torchwick is involved in this, too." Peter said.

 **"This isn't right. The White Fang would never work with a Human. Especially not one like that." Blake explained as she stood up and unsheathed the katana of Gambol Shroud before walking off the edge of the roof.**

 **"Hey, what are you doing?!"** **Sun asked, alarmed.**

"Hey, it's fine. Cats land on their feet, right?" Hawkeye said.

"I mean, they were thrown into a forest and nothing bad, happened. Dropping from a small building is no issue." Tony said.

 **Blake fell to the ground in a crouch, then continued on to hide behind one of the containers, peeking around the corner to see Roman berate a White Fang member holding a coil of rope.**

"Good. She's going with the stealth approach. Smart." Widow said.

 **"No, you idiot! This isn't a leash!" Roman snapped. As he looked around, Blake suddenly appeared behind him with her blade at his throat. "What the- Oh, for f-" Roman groaned, rolling his eyes when he was cut off by Blake mid-swear.**

"Language!" Cap said, everyone else rolling their eyes.

 **"Nobody move!" Blake ordered.  
**

 **The White Fang soldiers readied their guns and equipped their swords in response.**

 **"Whoa! Take it easy there, little lady." Roman said.**

"You wish." Hulk said.

"You should heed her order, lest you wish to lose your head." Thor said.

 **As the White Fang closed in on her, Blake used her free hand to go for her bow and removed it, causing the ribbon to fall away as her Faunus ears were shown to the world.** **"Brothers of the White Fang! Why are you aiding this scum?" She asked.**

 **The White Fang members lowered their weapons a little at this development, unsure of what to do, when Roman laughed.**

"So, they are hesitant to hurt their own. They've got that over Magneto, I guess." Peter said.

"They're fighting for the rights of their people, so they don't want to hurt their own." Cap said.

 **"Oh, kid, didn't you get the memo?" Roman asked.**

 **"What are you talking about?" Blake asked.**

 **"The White Fang and I are going in on a joint business venture together!" Roman explained.  
**

 **"Tell me what it is or I'll put an end to your little operation." Blake threatened.**

 **Suddenly, the air was filled with more turbines blowing the wind wildly around the holdup.**

 **"I wouldn't exactly call it a little operation..."** **Roman said, looking up to see** **Two more Bullheads were hovering above the heist as Blake watched in horror.**

"Oh, nope. That's a pretty sizable operation." Hawkeye said, impressed.

"All the more to smash." Hulk said.

 **Roman smiled and managed to fire his cane at Blake's feet, resulting in a large explosion.**

"He's crazy! Why would he shoot at his own feet!?" Widow asked.

"They have aura, so the explosion at least won't kill him. It's effective to get Blake off him." Tony analyzed.

* * *

 **Penny and Ruby turned around upon hearing the noise, seeing the smoke rise from the docking bay just a few buildings away.**

 **"Oh, no..." Ruby said.**

"Hurry, Ruby! Blake's in trouble!" Peter said.

"Don't forget, Sun's still there. I'm sure he'll be able to help." Cap reassured him.

* * *

 **Blake, dazed but relatively unhurt on the ground, quickly rolled and ran out of the way of Roman's continued attacks, flaming missiles destroying cargo behind her as she retreated behind more containers.**

 **"Here, kitty, kitty, kitty..."** ** **Roman taunted, approaching slowly. H** is taunt was interrupted when a banana peel landed on his head, causing him to look up and growl at the assailant. **

**Sun leapt from the container above Roman and dropped down on the criminal's face feet-first, rolling up and readying himself to fight.**

"Nice work, Sun! I like this kid!" Hawkeye said.

"Wonder how he's gonna handle himself?" Widow wondered.

 **"Leave her alone!" Sun snapped.**

 **The Bullheads opened to let more White Fang members descend on the scene, standing by Roman as he got up and surrounding Sun.**

 **"You're not the brightest banana in the bunch, are you, kid?" Roman taunted.**

"He's certainly comfortable being racist around a bunch of terrorists that want to wipe out humans." Tony said.

"I'm wondering what he's offering or what he has on them to make them tolerate him." Cap said.

 **With that said, the White Fang charged at the monkey Faunus, but he managed to dodge slashes and get some of the soldiers with his fists and kicks until he rolled out of the way, pulling out a collapsible red staff. He quickly used this to beat down on each opponent that neared him, falling each one in a single flaming blow when he twirled, even creating a scorching shockwave to beat the last of them.**

"A staff! Nice!" Hawkeye said. He's been known to use his bow like a staff and even modified it with Tony's help to turn into a staff when fighting at close range.

"They are great for crowd control." Widow agreed.

"Yeah! Get 'em!" Hulk cheered.

"The boy is quite capable." Thor said, impressed.

 **Blake peered around the corner of the container to watch Sun jump around and beat more White Fang soldiers, causing one to fly over Roman's head. The crime boss growled in annoyance and aimed his cane at Sun, firing a shot that he defended himself from just when Blake leapt into the action.**

 **"He's mine!"She shouted.**

 **Blake went in close and becomes a blur of afterimages as she slashed both blades at Roman, who backed away and deflected each would-be blow with his cane at unbelievable speeds. Blake continued to dash, hop over, and slide around Roman to try and find a weak spot, but her enemy, while barely deflecting the attacks, landed a few hits on Blake until one final beating with his cane caused her to go down.**

"Blake!" Peter said.

"Whoa. He had everyone else do the fighting for him, I thought he'd be easy. But he's got some moves." Widow said.

 **Just as Roman dealt with one opponent, Sun appeared right behind her and disconnected his staff in two spinning circles of flame-firing shotgun nunchaku that only slowed down once to reveal what they were before becoming twin arcs of offense again. Sun swung each gun at Roman while firing everything he had at him, but even with the rapid series of shots and flying bullets, Roman managed to defend himself against every bullet and hit until a millisecond-long pause allowed Blake to get a slash in and knock him back.**

"Nice. Teamwork. That's the way to do it." Cap said.

"You know what's nice? Those nunchaku! I might have to modify my bow some more." Clint said.

"A bow that turns into a staff and two sets of nunchaku? You'd be right at home in Remnant, Trickshot." Tony said.

 **On his back, Roman noticed a container hanging by a crane right above the two warriors and got up to fire his cane at its supports. Blake leapt behind it, but Sun barely missed when he jumped forward, ending up right below the nozzle of Roman's cane.**

"No!" All the Avengers shouted at once.

 **Just as he was about to fire, his and Sun's attention were drawn to a familiar voice.**

 **"Hey!"Ruby called off-screen as she** **appeared on the rooftop overlooking them, Crescent Rose extended and ready for action.**

"Oh, yeah! Ruby's here to save the day!" Peter said.

"Someone's sure excited." Widow said with a smirk.

"Well, uh, 'cuz I want to see the good guys win!" He said, panicked.

"Yeah, right. You're just happy your girlfriend showed up!" Hulk teased.

"She's not my girlfriend!" Spider-Man said, turning away, his face a deep red under his mask.

 **"Well, hello, Red! Isn't it past your bedtime?"** **Roman said, losing interest in Sun, waving to her.**

 **"Ruby, are these people your friends?"** **Penny asked, approaching Ruby.**

 **"Penny, get back!"** ** **Ruby warned, looking behind her. W** hile her attention was diverted, Roman snarled and fired his cane at her, launching the young Huntress-in-training back from the explosion's force and sending her scythe flying away. "AAAAAH!" She screamed as she was blasted back.  
**

"RUBY!" Peter cried worriedly.

"Worried about your girlfriend?" Hulk teased.

"Hulk, now isn't the time!" Spider-Man said.

"She'll be fine. Aura, remember?" Hulk reminded him.

"Oh, yeah..." He realized, blushing, trying his best to ignore the chuckles and smirks from the other Avengers.

 **Roman gave off a professional-level evil laugh at his attack on the young girl. Penny turned her head toward the criminal and gave her first glare, walking forward while Ruby tried to get back up.**

 **"Penny, wait! Stop!" Ruby pleaded as she raised her hand in a futile attempt to stop her.**

 **"Don't worry, Ruby. I'm combat ready!" Penny assured her.**

"Young Penny sounds determined to avenge her friend's honor." Thor said approvingly.

"This should be good." Hulk said eagerly.

 **Her backpack mechanically opened up and from its dark depths came a single sword that extended and multiplied into several blades hovering over Penny's back. Leaping from the rooftop with the weapons acting as wings, she sent three of her swords to knock two White Fang soldiers down before even landing on the ground, where she proceeded to fling the swords at one enemy, impaled another to a wall, created a barrier of spinning steel against a running attack, leaping over a goon with her swords in tow and finally making a wheel that she threw to knock multiple Faunus off their feet.**

"What?!" The Avengers all said in shock.

"Amazing! A bunch of swords stored in her backpack she somehow controls. But how?" Tony said, immediately intrigued.

"Maybe some kind of Dust, or her semblance is telepathy." Cap guessed.

"Who cares?! It's awesome!" Hulk said.

 **"Whoa!"** ** **Sun said, observing the spectacle in amazement, before** he ran off to safety. **

**Three Bullheads come from the skies and open fired on the battle, but Penny merely formed a shield and launched two of her swords into the wall behind her, which in turn pulled their wielder back with their strings.**

"So, they're connected to her with strings. Okay. But that still doesn't explain exactly how she swings them through the air. And how she manages not to tangle them with all those spinning moves and having them swirl around her like that." Tony pondered.

"Maybe she's just that skilled with them?" Cap suggested.

"I doubt it. Those strings could be dangerous, though. If she isn't careful or their redirected in the right, or in her case, wrong way, they could wind up cutting through her." Widow analyzed.

 **When her swords swirled around her again, she commanded them to open their points and build up a large glowing ball of green light. With a punching action, several bright lasers cracked the pavement when they fired at the transports and sliced each one in half, causing several of the White Fang members inside to fall and letting Ruby watch as Bullheads fell in pieces behind her.**

"Whoa! That is awesome!" Peter said.

"YEAH!" Hulk cheered.

"By Odin's beard! We've severely underestimated young Penny! She is an incredible warrior!" Thor cheered.

 **Stunned, she turned back to Penny as she aimed her swords at the remaining Bullheads holding the crate of Dust and pulled back on their wires, tugging the aircraft with them.**

 **"Whoa... How is she doing that?"** **Ruby asked as she watched in awe.**

 **Seeing the Bullhead's flight fall under Penny's control, Roman grimaced and turned to run towards the last transport.**

 **Penny, after her large green pupils dilated for a second, pulled with all her might on the strings and the aircraft crashed into a stack of crates, causing an explosion as a result.**

The Avengers were left in awe at this. Tony was the first to push his jaw back up and shake off his shock. "That's unbelievable. She might even be stronger than Yang. And those strings must have incredible tensile strength to be able to pull something that heavy with powerful propulsion systems to the ground like that. Her strength is unreal. She must be a cyborg or an android." Tony said.

"I don't know, we've seen some pretty strong people in this world. You may be jumping to conclusions. But you're right. Her strength is unbelievable." Cap said.

"It would make sense, though. Yang, Ren and Nora are the three physically strongest we've seen so far, but their feats pale in comparison to what Penny just did. Assuming their all the same age and skill level, that big of a difference in their strength is unreasonable." Widow analyzed.

"She doesn't look like a robot to me." Peter said.

"Neither does Vision." Tony simply said.

 **"These kids just keep getting weirder..."** ** **Roman said, watching from the safety of his escape.** With his observation made, he used his cane to close the doors and the jet lifted off, flying away from the lost battle. **

"That's right! Run, coward!" Thor taunted.

"Running from a bunch of girls! What a punk!" Hulk laughed.

"Yeah, but those girls can give some of us a run for our money. Especially Penny. And, Sun's still there, too." Peter said.

"If he stayed, he'd be an idiot." Hawkeye said.

"They did some damage to the docks and the leader escaped, but the damage was minimal, nothing was taken and the White Fang grunts were left behind. That's a good victory for a bunch of students." Cap said approvingly.

* * *

 **Later, a handful of police cars were at the docks, where Ruby, Blake, Sun and Penny were sitting on boxes in silence. That is, until Weiss and Yang appeared on the scene.**

"Uh-oh." Hulk said.

"Blake just helped save Weiss' company's product. If she's not thankful, she's beyond help." Tony said.

 **"Look Weiss, it's not what you think, she explained the whole thing. See, she doesn't actually have a bow, she has kitty ears and they're actually kind of cute..."** ** **Ruby spoke quickly to explain the situation, but** Weiss ignored her and squared off with Blake. **

"Well, technically she did still wear a bow..." Natasha said.

"She's right, though. Her ears are cute." Hawkeye said.

 **Blake calmly looked her down. "Weiss, I want you to know that I'm no longer associated with the White Fang. Back when I was with the-" She started explaining.  
**

 **"Stop! Do you have any idea of how long we've been searching for you?" She asked, then paused. "Twelve hours. That means I've had twelve hours to think about this. And in that twelve hours, I've decided..." She started.**

The Avengers all narrowed their eyes a bit, waiting for the answer. If Weiss was still angry, they'd lose all respect for her.

 **Yang, Sun and Ruby looked on, worried.**

 **"I don't care." Weiss finished.**

The Avengers sighed at relief in this, Cap even nodding at Weiss approvingly. "Good choice." He said.

"Maybe she's not an Ice Queen after all. Still not quite a snow angel, though." Tony said.

 **"You don't care?"** **Blake r** **epeated, surprised.**

 **"You said you're not one of them anymore, right?" Weiss asked.  
**

 **"No, I-I haven't been since I was younger-" Blake started explaining.**

 **However, Weiss silenced her. "Ah-bah-bah-bah-bah! I don't want to hear it. All I want to know is that the next time something this big comes up... you'll come to your teammates. And not some..." She started, looking at Sun behind her as she caught herself. "Someone else." She finished.**

"That is a petty reasonable request." Natasha admitted.

"Yeah. I can't count the number of times things would've been easier if I came to my teammates first." Spider-Man said.

 **Blake looked at Ruby and Yang grinning at her, she wiped a tear from her eye, nodding. "Of course."She agreed.**

 **Weiss smiled and nodded. The moment was serious for a second more until Ruby screamed.**

 **"Yeah! Team RWBY is back together!" She** **cheered, waving her arms wildly.**

" **HUZZAH**! They are friends once more!" Thor cheered.

"What he said!" Hulk cheered as well.

The other Avengers laughed a bit, before... "Huzzah!" They all said, although MUCH quieter than Thor, who shook the whole room.

 **As the five gathered with each other, Weiss pointed accusingly at Sun. "I'm still not quite sure about how I feel about you!" She warned, to which Sun laughed nervously.**

"Well, she's still got some things to work on." Cap said, shaking his head a bit.

"Baby steps, Cap. Can't expect her to change overnight." Tony said.

 **"Hey, wait a minute... Where's Penny?"** **Ruby asked, looking around.**

"How could you not notice your friend missing. She was sitting right next to you!" Hawkeye said.

"To be fair, they did just have a fairly important event right in front of them. And Penny wasn't really a part of it." Widow said.

 **From the darkened back seat of a limo, Penny watched the group of friends reuniting with each other.**

 **"You should know better than to go running around in a strange city."** **Penny's driver said off-screen.**

 **"I know, sir."** **Penny said, lowering her head, sadly.**

 **"Penny, your time will come..."** **Penny's driver told her as the car drove off from the scene.**

"Well... That's pretty ominous." Peter said.

"Looks like Penny's parents are also either rich or powerful to have a limo and driver." Tony said.

"And controlling, if they want to keep her from going where she wants." Cap said, narrowing his eyes.

"We don't know the whole story. Only time will tell how this all plays out." Widow reasoned.

* * *

 **Meanwhile, Ozpin was seen holding a Scroll showing a "LIVE FEED" of Ruby at the docks. He closed the video and opened up a communication with Qrow, whose team name and other information was left blank and his only message was: "QUEEN HAS PAWNS."**

 **"Hmmm..." Ozpin hummed.**

"Qrow? Isn't that Ruby and Yang's uncle?" Hawkeye asked.

"Yeah. And he must be on a mission for Ozpin." Widow guessed.

"Queen has pawns? What could that mean?" Cap asked.

"We don't know nearly enough to even guess." Tony said.

 **The scene cut to a view of Beacon Academy bathed in the light of the nearly-full moon as the background faded to black.**

"Well, it looks like that's it." Peter said.

"No, wait. There's still a few minutes left." Hulk said.

* * *

 **Roman walked into a large warehouse with a shadowy interior. He went over to a table and placed down a case of mysterious contents, sighing in tiredness.**

 **"How very disappointing, Roman."** **Cinder taunted off-screen.**

"Who's that?" Peter asked.

"Either Roman's partner, or his boss." Cap said.

"But I thought he WAS the boss." Hawkeye said.

 **Roman turned around suddenly when he heard the voice and their noisy entrance. "Whoa! Hehe... I wasn't expecting to see you guys so soon..." He said nervously.**

 **"We were expecting... more from you."** ** **Cinder said as she and two others approached. Of the three figures before Roman, only her head, containing yellow eyes and flowing dark hair, was seen.****

"That's the woman who fought Glynda in the bullhead in the first episode." Widow said.

"So, we thought Roman was in charge, but it looks like she's the one pulling the strings. Typical." Tony said.

 **Roman laughed a little before getting serious. "Hey! You were the ones who suggested working with those stupid mutts from the White Fang." He argued.**

 **Cinder chuckled darkly. "And you will continue to do so." She ordered as she summonsed a fireball in her hand and stepped out of the darkness with her two companions, a purple-haired man and mint-haired, tanned woman, eyes glowing gold. "We have big plans for you, Roman. All we ask is... a little cooperation." She said.**

"Yeah, that's real smooth talking. That's gonna boost his confidence." Hawkeye said sarcastically.

"I'm guessing that's why she's telling him, not asking him." Spider-Man said.

 **The camera held on Cinder Fall's evil little smile before cutting to black.**

* * *

"Whoa... She's kinda scary..." Hulk said.

"Indeed. For a young maiden she is quite intimidating." Thor agreed.

"So, she's the boss, not Roman. He's no saint, but she seems way more dangerous than he is. That makes this plan of theirs even more unsettling." Cap said.

"Well, it looks like that's the end of this first Volume. Nice way to waste a couple hours." Widow said, getting up and taking the disk out. "So, what do we all think?" She asked.

"It's amazing to see into this new world and hear about all the different aspects of it." Cap said.

"And the heroes are around my age, so I can relate a lot to what they've been going through." Peter said.

"And the fighting was awesome! I'd like to go there and test some of those kids out!" Hulk said.

"Indeed! They'd be worthy opponents for the Mighty Thor!" Thor boomed.

"Yep. Those kids can sure put the beatdown on some bad guys. I'd say Remnant's in good hands with them around." Hawkeye said.

"Yeah. It's a bit shocking to think of sending teenagers out into the world to do the fighting, but it's important to raise the next generation to be strong and protect their world. It's just like what SHIELD's doing with the Triskellion, bringing up the next generation of heroes." Widow said, before looking to Tony. "What about you, Stark? What are your thoughts?" She asked.

"I think I've got about a dozen new ideas I want to go work on. Remnant's technology is incredible. And I wanna see how close I can get to it without Dust." Tony said, getting up and heading to the workshop.

"Don't forget to make me some gauntlets like Yang." She called after him.

"And modify my bow like we were talking about earlier." Clint added.

"One at a time. Nat's first." He said.

Suddenly, red lights began flashing and alarms began blaring. "You'll all have to wait! Taskmaster's robbing a military weapon's facility." Captain America.

"Well, you heard the man. Looks like we're ending your birthday with a bang, Natasha. Avengers, Assemble!" Tony said, his suit coming to him and the team rushing into action.

* * *

 **A/N: Whew. That was a long one, but it's finally done! I hope you all enjoy it! And now that Volume 1 is finally finished, as promised, I will be starting up The Avengers watch My Hero Academia. I'll TRY to have it done before Christmas, but I can't guarantee it, so don't quote me on that. These chapters may take a bit longer, since I don't have a transcript to easily copy from, but I will do my best to get them out in a relatively timely manner. With that, I hope you all have a wonderful holiday season!**


	17. Episode 11: Best Day Ever!

The Avengers returned to the tower after an intense battle with Morgan Le Fey, who had summoned a massive dragon to try and destroy the city, but thankfully, the Avengers were able to stop the mighty beast with their new equipment and a certain new technique from Hulk when the monster nearly roasted them with a stream of fire. "Oh, yeah! The Detroit Smash TOTALLY works! I told you I could do it!" The green behemoth cheered.

"Indeed, friend Hulk, your truly proved your power this day." Thor congratulated.

"Yeah. A good thing, too, since that rain helped put out the extra fires." Cap agreed.

"I still can't believe it actually worked... He actually changed the weather." Spider-Man said, still awestruck.

"Hey, in this world, anything could happen, buddy." Hawkeye said.

"I'm just glad I FINALLY had a good excuse to use this baby." Iron Man said, proudly holding his version of Crescent Rose, only of course, instead of red and black, it was red and gold and instead of a sniper rifle, it fired repulsor beams.

"Hey, it's been a while since we watched RWBY. Why don't we start it up again. We're on the second season now, right?" Widow asked.

"I believe Loki categorized them in Volumes, rather than seasons." Thor corrected.

"Who cares! I wanna see 'em smash some more monsters!" Hulk shouted.

"Yeah. I wouldn't mind seeing what Ruby's gang has been getting up to." Spider-Man agreed.

"Wanna keep tabs on your girlfriend, Spidey?" Tony teased, getting out of his suit and onto his couch.

"Sh-she's not my girlfriend!" Peter said, his blush almost coming through his mask.

"We'll get some snacks and start in a few minutes." Cap said as he, Hawkeye and Black Widow went to the kitchen.

Tony set it up as the three of them got some food. As everyone was settled, they all returned with the snacks. "Alright. Let's see if Yang's been doing Daddy Thor proud." Hawkeye said.

"Yang is NOT my daughter, Hawkeye!" Thor snapped.

"He's right. Nora is." Hulk teased.

"Nora is not my child, either, Hulk! I grow tired of these taunts!" He warned them. "Although, I admit. I missed it the first time, but it is quite interesting Nora's last name is Valkyrie. She certainly fights with the fury of Asgard's mightiest warriors." He said.

"So you are proud of your little girl?" Tony asked teasingly.

"Enough!" Thor shouted.

"Alright, boys. Let's settle down and watch this show, already." Natasha said, starting it up.

* * *

 **A ship flew through the skies over Vale and the camera panned down to the city streets. The owner of the Dust shop "From Dust Till Dawn" was hanging a sign declaring its re-opening. As he climbed down from his ladder, he stumbled and fell. Emerald Sustrai appeared next to him.**

"She was one of the people with that fire girl!" Hawkeye said.

"So she's probably already up to no good. The question is, what?" Cap asked.

 **Emerald giggled at this. "'Scuse me, sorry. I'm not really from around here." She explained as she helped him to his feet. "Would you mind pointing me in the direction of this shop?" She asked,** **producing a piece of paper with writing on it and the shopkeep looked it over.**

 **"Hmm? Mm-hmm." The shopkeep confirmed.**

 **Emerald walked away from the shop owner as both waved goodbye and passed Mercury Black at a corner.**

"And there's the other one." Widow said.

"So that means there's twice the trouble now." Tony said.

 **"I knew you were lost." He taunted.**

 **Emerald walked back up to him, slightly annoyed. "Mercury, I will seriously pay you to shut up." She said as she produced a wallet with Lien and waved it in Mercury's face.**

 **"That's not your money." He told her.**

 **"But it can be yours for 5 minutes of silence." She offered.  
**

 **"Mmmm... no deal." He decided.**

 **"Fine." She groaned as she took the Lien and tossed the wallet, turning to walk away.**

 **"Whatever. You want me." He teased.**

"Jeez. He's cockier than Hawkeye." Spider-Man said.

"Hey!" The archer protested.

"She must've pick-pocketed the old man. So she's a thief. That just leaves the question of what he does." Widow said.

 **More of the city was shown, including a café where two extras sat chatting. Mercury and Emerald were walking through the city.**

 **"So, how much farther?" Mercury asked.**

 **"A few blocks." Emerald confirmed.**

 **"Ugh... this place is so dull." He groaned.**

 **"Eh, I kinda like it. Tall buildings, diverse culture..." She listed.**

 **"And nice dopey people who are easy to pickpocket." Mercury threw in.**

 **Emerald stopped. "** **That's every city." She countered.**

 **"Ooh, Emerald! Master thief! Please don't take my money! I barely have enough to get by!"** **Mercury play acted as a victim.** **Emerald glared at him, groaning angrily. She then walked away from him. "** **Ugh... you're no fun today." He complained.**

"It seems like she has some reservations about stealing. Or perhaps guilt about what happens to those she steals from." Thor said.

"A thief's a thief. Doesn't matter if they feel bad about it." Hulk said.

 **Mercury followed behind Emerald. The scene shifted to Emerald and Mercury entering a shop full of books. The shop owner could be heard humming a tune. Mercury stopped near the door to look at books while Emerald approached the counter and rung a service bell.**

 **"Be right there!" The owner called while Emerald looked back at Mercury. The shop owner was seen through a set of double doors carrying stacks of books as he walked backwards and out toward the counter. "Welcome to 'Tukson's Book Trade', home to every book under the sun!'" He greeted as he set the stacks down off-screen. "How may I..." He started, turning around, before he gasped and hesitated upon recognizing the two of them. Mercury was now holding a book. "How may I help you?" He asked.  
**

"He must know who they are." Widow said.

"That means their business is with him. This can't end well for him." Cap said, concerned for the store owner.

 **"Just browsing."** ** **Mercury** **answered. Although the book was open, Mercury was looking at Tukson, before** he shut the book. **

**"Actually, I was wondering, do you have any copies of 'The Thief and The Butcher'?" Emerald asked.**

"So, she's the thief... then that means Mercury's the butcher..." Spider-Man said, glaring at the two.

"And this guy's on the butcher's table." Hawkeye said.

 **"Yes we do." Tukson confirmed.**

 **"That's great." She said excitedly.**

 **"Would you... like a copy?" He asked.**

 **"No, just wondering." She asked as Mercury closed another book. "Oh, oh! What about 'Violet's Garden'? In paperback?" She wondered.**

 **"He's got it. Hardback too." Mercury confirmed, producing a book.**

 **"Ooh, options are nice." She considered.  
**

"I prefer hardback. Paperback's tear to easy." Cap said.

"I just have a screen for anything I need." Tony said.

 **"Eh, no pictures." Mercury grumbled as he closed the book. "Hey! Do you have any comics?" He asked.**

 **"Near the front." Tukson confirmed.**

 **"Oh, no, wait!" Emerald said as the music score became decidedly more menacing as the camera zoomed in on Emerald. "What... about... 'Third Crusade'?" She asked.**

 **Tukson hesitated, visibly unnerved. "Um... I..." He said unsurely as Mercury and Emerald were shown to be eyeing him carefully. "...Don't believe we carry that one." He said.**

 **Mercury slammed another book shut. "Oh." He said simply.**

"The tone has shifted dangerously. I suspect whatever they have planned for this man, they will enact it soon." Thor said seriously.

"Let's hope this guy can fight." Hulk said.

"If they're with Roman and the fire girl, I'm assuming they're pretty tough. And it's two-on-one." Widow said.

 **"What was this place called again?" Emerald asked.  
**

 **"Tukson's Book Trade." The owner answered.  
**

 **"And you're Tukson?" She asked again.**

 **"That's right." He confirmed.**

 **"So then I take it that you're the one that came up with the catchphrase?" She asked again.**

 **"Yes." He confirmed again.**

 **"And, what was it again?" Mercury asked.**

 **"'Tukson's Book Trade, home to every book under the sun.'" He answered.**

"That's a pretty big claim. Looks like he couldn't deliver, though." Peter said.

"It's tough finding a good catchphrase that really fits your company." Tony said.

 **"Except the Third Crusade." Mercury said.  
**

 **"It's just a catchphrase." Tukson informed.**

 **"It's false advertising!" Mercury countered.**

 **"You shouldn't make a promise you can't keep, Tukson." Emerald said as Mercury activated a switch near the entrance, causing a front window to darken. "I hear that you're planning on leaving. Moving all the way to Vacuo." She continued as Mercury activated another switch and the window in the front door darkened. "Your brothers in the White Fang won't be happy to hear that." She informed as Mercury activated the third and final switch, darkening the last window as he smiled creepily at Tukson.**

"So, he was part of the White Fang." Steve said.

"And he's trying to back out. That never goes well." Widow said.

"And that's why they're there for him." Hawkeye said.

 **"And neither are we... You know who we are, don't you?" She asked.**

 **"Yes." He confirmed.  
**

 **"And you know why we're here?" She asked again.**

 **"Yes." He confirmed again.**

 **"So... are you going to fight back?" She asked once more.**

 **"Yes!" Tukson confirmed one final time as he produced claws from his fingers.**

"Whoa! He's like Sabretooth!" Peter said, remembering his battle with the villain while trapped in Wolverine's body.

"Yeah! Let's see him use those claws!" Hulk cheered.

"Fight well, Tukson! Your very life depends on it!" Thor called.

 **"Yaargh!" He snarled as he** **leapt atop his counter in a threatening manner. Mercury and Emerald backed up slightly and he leapt at Emerald and slashed at her, but she dodged. He looked forward and was surprised at Mercury as he raised one leg for a kick with his shotgun-greaves.**

 **Mercury and Emerald exited "Tukson's Book Trade". Emerald stretched her arms overhead. Mercury was carrying a comic. "** **What's with that?" Emerald asked.**

 **"I like the pictures." Mercury answered simply.**

"They must've killed him." Cap said, growling a bit.

"He tried to do the right thing and get out before it went too far. Too bad that almost never works." Widow said.

* * *

 **A series of sketches and notes marked the next scene. These included the White Fang insignia, a possible picture of Adam Taurus and Adam's rose. In the Beacon Academy cafeteria, Team RWBY were sitting together as Blake looked over some notes.**

"Looks like Blake hasn't completely gotten over Adam and the White Fang yet." Hawkeye said.

"Well, she was with them for a long time. It'd be like any of us leaving the Avengers after all this time. It definitely wouldn't be easy." Tony said.

"And running into them at the docks Probably didn't help. Might've dragged up some old memories." Peter said.

 **Yang then slid up next to her partner.** **"Whatcha doing?" Yang asked.**

 **"Nothing." Blake dismissed. closes her book. "Just going over notes from last semester." She explained.**

 **Yang caught a grape in her mouth. "** **Lame." She said.**

 **Nora giggled as she continued to toss grapes at yang with her spoon. Yang caught the fruit with ease, giving Nora the thumbs up. Ruby, giving an enormous heave, slammed a huge binder onto the table, catching everyone off guard. On the cover of the binder was written "Vytal Festival Activities, Property of Weiss Schnee". This had been hastily crossed out with a red marker pen and with the same pen, a new title, "Best Day Ever Activities", had been written underneath.**

"Whoa! That thing must weigh half as much as Ruby." Peter said.

"Indeed. this only proves young Ruby's strength!" Thor boomed.

"Well, she does swing around a giant, mechanical scythe like it's nothing." Natasha said.

 **Ruby cleared her throat, before speaking. "Sisters... friends... Weiss."** **She addressed and gestured to everyone at the table.**

 **"Hey!" Weiss snapped off-screen.**

The Avengers all chuckled at this.

 **"Four score and seven minutes ago, I had a dream." Ruby explained.**

 **"This ought to be good." Yang said before she caught another berry in her mouth.**

"A score is 20 years. None of team RWBY has been alive that long. Especially not Ruby, who's two years younger than everyone else." Cap said.

"Nope. Only You've been around for 4 scores, Cap." Tony teased.

"I think she's just trying to make a speech. She's not really fact checking it. Or she meant scores of minutes, so... an hour and 27 minutes in total." Peter suggested.

 **"A dream that one day, the four of us will come together, as a team, and have the most fun anyone has ever had... ever!" Ruby announced**

 **"Did you steal my binder?" Weiss asked.**

 **"I am not a crook."** **Ruby said as she made "peace" signs with both hands.**

The Avengers all laughed again at this. Apparently Remnant's politicians weren't too different from their own.

 **"What are you talking about?" Blake asked.**

 **"I'm talking about kicking off the semester with a bang!" She announced and pointed her finger at Blake.**

 **"I always kick my semesters off with a Yang! Eh? Guys? Am I right?" Yang asked, looking around for agreement or laughter.**

 **An apple was tossed at yang and hit her in the face. She glared at Nora.** **"Boooooooooooooooo!" Nora heckled off-screen.**

"Thank you, Nora." Hawkeye said.

"She did have it coming for a pun THAT bad." Widow said.

"Looks like your kids are starting a food fight." Hulk teased Thor.

"HUUULK!" Thor shouted.

"Hey, come on, guys! Let's just enjoy the show and see where it goes from here!" Peter said, getting between the two, doing his best to hold them both back.

 **"Look guys, it's been a good two weeks and between more exchange students arriving and the tournament at the end of the year, our second semester is going to be great! But, classes start back up tomorrow! Which is why I've taken the time to schedule a series of wonderful events for us today." Ruby explained happily**

 **"I don't know whether to be proud or scared of what you have in store." Weiss said worriedly.**

 **Yang, still glaring, picked up an apple and tosse it across the room. Off-screen, an unfamiliar voice shouted "Hey!" and Nora could be heard giggling.**

"I'm kind of wondering what Ruby has planned, myself." Tony said.

"Something tells me things are about to get messy." Hawkeye said.

 **"I don't know. I think I might sit this one out." Blake said.**

 **"Sit out or not, I think that however we spend this last day, we should do it as a team!" Weiss said, standing up.  
**

 **"I got it!" Nora shouted positively off-screen as Yang was seen shaking her hands as a gesture to not do whatever the orange-haired girl had planned, a nervous look on her face.  
**

"That can't be good." Cap said.

"Knowing Nora, definitely not." Tony agreed.

 **"I for one think that..." Weiss started, before she was interrupted by a pie landing on her face.**

 **Nora was shown to be the one who threw the pie, she sat down and pointed at Ren who had his head in his palm. Pyrrha's hand was over her mouth and Jaune simply sat staring wide-eyed while covering his ear with his palm.**

"Oh, no..." Peter said.

"That won't end well." Widow said.

"FOOD FIGHT!" Hulk cheered.

* * *

 **Outside the cafeteria, Sun and Neptune Vasilias were walking together as Sun related the events which took place during "Black and White".**

 **"Man, that's harsh." Neptune said.  
**

"I'm guessing he's a member of Sun's team." Tony said.

"Huh. That's good. Nice to see Sun's got some more friends." Hawkeye said.

 **"I know, we were fighting side by side. She was super fast and I threw a banana at the guy, which sounds gross, but it was awesome." Sun explained.**

 **"Nice!" The blue-haired boy complimented.**

 **"Right? And the best part is, she's a Faunus. But that's a secret, okay?" Sun asked, pointing at Neptune.**

 **"Got it." Neptune confirmed.**

 **Sun leaned in close in order to stress the importance of this secret. "** **And not a, 'I'm gonna go tell Scarlet the second Sun turns his back secret', I'm talking secret secret." He warned.**

 **"Whoa, chill out, man, okay? I got it." He told him. "I got it!"** **He repeated, almost whispering.**

 **"You better." Sun said as they continued.**

"That's kind of the point of a secret, Sun. You don't tell anyone. You shouldn't have told this guy in the first place." Widow said.

"I doubt Blake would appreciate any more people learning the secret, since she's still wearing the bow." Cap said.

 **The camera angle now showed the windows into the cafeteria where food splattered into the panes as students ran around. At one point, Jaune was the one splattered into the window.**

"Ooh!" All the Avengers shouted, cringing a bit at Jaune being slammed into the window... Well, all of them except Hulk, who burst out laughing.

"I've seen my fair share of food fights, but even they never got THAT out of hand." Peter said.

 **"I just don't want to screw this up, you know? The people here are the coolest! No offense to you guys." Sun explained.**

 **"None taken." Neptune dismissed.  
**

 **"They're just in here. I'm really excited for you to meet them. So be cool, okay? You're gonna be cool, right?" Sun asked.**

 **"Dude." Neptune said as t** **he camera panned up from Neptune's feet to his face. Neptune's teeth gleamed as he smiled.**

"Gotta give it to him. He's got the style down." Tony said.

"Yeah, but does he have the charm?" Hawkeye asked.

"I don't think you'd be the best judge of that." Natasha said with a smirk.

 **"Good point." Sun agreed.**

 **Sun and Neptune entered the cafeteria where students were heard screaming. "** **Food fight!" A student screamed off-screen.**

 **Many students were shown stampeding out the door past Sun and Neptune, the latter of whom was looking quite worried.**

 **"Ahahahaha!" Nora laughed as** **Team JNPR were shown to be standing atop a tower of tables stacked in a ramshackle manner.** **"I'm queen of the castle! I'm queen of the castle!"** **She shouted in sing-song.**

"Hey, a callback to when the teams first came together!" Peter said.

"Yeah. I understood that reference." Steve said with a smile.

"So, when will she be queen of Asgard's castle, Papa?" Tony asked Thor teasingly.

"You try my patience, Stark!" Thor snapped.

 **Ruby stomped her foot on a table and pointed at Team JNPR. "Justice will be swift! Justice will be painful!" She announced before crushing a carton of milk in her hand. "It will be delicious!" She screamed.**

 **"Yeah!"** **Team RWBY screamed in agreement, raising their fists simultaneously.**

"YEAH! FOOD FIGHT! Get 'em, RWBY!" Hulk cheered again.

"The girl, or the team?" Peter asked.

"YES!" Hulk shouted.

"Team RWBY vs. Team JNPR! This shall be a battle that is remembered for all time!" Thor cheered.

 **"Off with their heads!"** **Nora ordered as she jumped down from the top of her tower and the food fight began. Ren stomped on a tray holding 3 watermelons, spun and kicked them towards their challengers. Jaune dove, grabbing another watermelon and flipped back onto his feet, hurling the melon as well. Pyrrha hurled two more watermelons and Nora flipped over an entire table covered with the green melons as well.  
**

"That's a lot of vitamin C." Tony said.

"Watermelons have vitamin C? I thought that was oranges." Cap said.

"Watermelons are full of vitamins. It's a VERY healthy fruit." Tony explained.

 **"Yang! Turkey!" Ruby ordered.**

 **Yang then picksed up two turkeys from the ground and used them like her gauntlets, slamming them together, before rushing in and punching through the barrage of watermelons thrown off a table by Nora; upon completion, Blake then leapt in front of Yang and picked up two baguettes, blocking two more melons, Yang jumping and destroying the final melon with a jumping rear kick. Yang then threw her turkeys at Pyrrha, who dodged out of the way and grabbed a single baguette, leaving Jaune to take the blows.**

"Using the turkeys like her gauntlets. And Blake using those baguettes like swords, so they can still fight in the way they're most comfortable. Nice." Widow complimented.

"That's gotta smart for Jaune. Those turkeys have to have some good weight on them and someone like Yang throwing them? If he didn't have aura, something inside him would be cracked." Hawkeye said.

"I mean, it sent him flying, so it had to do some decent damage." Tony said.

 **Pyrrha and Blake dueled in a one-on-one fight. Despite Blake's attempt to disorient Pyrrha with her shadows, Pyrrha knocked her back and threw three more baguettes to Yang, who punched and kicked the first two away, with the last knocking her down as well.**

"That is some tough bread! How did those kids not chip their teeth!?" Peter asked.

"It's possible they're strengthening it with their aura. We know they can transfer it into their weapons." Cap said.

 **Ruby used a food tray to slide towards Pyrrha across the table and hit a baguette back at her with the same tray; Pyrrha managed to dodge the shot, but was unable to stop Ruby from slamming knocking her backwards with the same food tray, backed by the power of her mighty legs. Ren and Nora then charged at Ruby, but Weiss intercepted them and used ketchup to cause Ren to slip and crash with a group tables which were launched because of the impact.**

"Nice!" Hulk cheered.

"Oh. He's gonna feel that one for a while." Hawkeye said.

 **Nora jumped through these tables to grabbed a metal flag pole and attached a watermelon to it. She attacked Weiss but hit Ruby instead, who managed to stand between them to protect her partner from the assault; however, the force of this impact knocked her down. Weiss grabbed a swordfish and engaged Nora in a one-on-one, but ended up being defeated after Nora threw her against a pillar, knocking her down and causing the pillar to break. Thankfully, before the pieces crush Weiss, Ruby jumped in and saved her partner.**

 **"Weiss, Weiss! Don't leave me!"** ** **Ruby pleaded, cradling Weiss.** "Nooo!" She cried out in despair.**

"That was a little dramatic. Then again, this is probably the first food fight where someone got knocked unconscious." Widow said.

"Impressive, young Nora! Creating an improvised hammer from such mundane objects." Thor praised.

"Yeah, that feels like cheating to me." Spider-Man said.

 **Yang grabbed two more turkeys and dueled Ren, who wielded a pair of leeks and used them to block and hold back a mighty kick from Yang.**

"Well, if nothing else, Ren's getting a nice view." Tony said with a smirk.

"Tony, that's terrible." Cap scolded, Black Widow smacking the billionaire in the back of the head.

"I mean, they ARE teenagers." Hawkeye said.

 **However, Ren was quickly overwhelmed by Yang's reflexes and took a lot of hits before being sent a few meters into the air by an uppercut. He recovered from the strikes and threw his leeks at Yang, but she managed to dodge them and proceeded to finish Ren by jumping high enough to punch him toward the floor, knocking him out. Nora intervened immediately afterwards and sent Yang flying through the roof with her hammer but destroyed the weapon in the process.**

"NO WAY!" Hulk said, in a mix of awe and disbelief.

"That's gonna hurt when she comes back down." Widow said.

 **Blake got back up to dodge the debris of the roof and grabbed a link of sausages. She whipped it at a disarmed Nora, throwing her against two soda machines. These leaked some soda cans that Nora threw at Blake, who manages to dodge them all. Pyrrha then used her Semblance of polarity on the puddle of soda, causing all the soda cans on it to rise after Blake, barraging her with soda, before creating a massive wave of them to knock Blake against a wall and continue to pulverize her until she was somehow thrown across the room and hit the ground, incapacitated.  
**

"An onslaught of soda! Such a devastating attack!" Thor said, shocked.

"Okay, that's DEFINITELY cheating." Peter said.

 **Ruby, the last remaining member of RWBY, looked at her opponents with a determined glare, then took a racing stance and used her Semblance of speed to dash through the food court, causing everything to follow her through the tailwind caused by her overwhelming speed. She spun like a torpedo, creating a hurricane of food that came back at JNPR, sweeping them along with it. Ruby then stopped just before the wall, the incredible force from the wind pressure of her speed actually putting a massive crack in the wall, before she jumped high into the air.**

"WHOA!" All the Avengers shouted again.

"She just put a giant crack in a wall with wind from running." Cap said in awe.

"For a big, strong building, like that, she at least had to be moving as fast as an F3 tornado. That's about 165 miles per hour." Tony said.

 **JNPR slammed against the cracked wall and were painted with soda and food. Team JNPR slid off the wall, leaving only their outlines.**

"OH, YEAH!" Hulk cheered.

"Yeah, they're done." Widow said.

"Ruby has won and avenged her fallen comrades!" Thor cheered.

"She really is amazing." Spider-Man said.

"Proud of your girlfriend, Spidey?" Hawkeye taunted.

"She's not my girlfriend!" Peter said frantically.

 **"I love these guys." Sun said as t** **he camera panned right to show that Neptune was drenched with soda and was not pleased. The doors behind them opened and Glynda entered the room growling. She proceeded to use telekinesis to re-organize the room.**

 **"Children, please." She started as the camera zoomed in on her face as she adjusted her glasses. "Do not play with your food!" She finished.**

 **Nora burped aloud as both Teams JNPR and RWBY tried and failed to compose themselves. A screaming Yang then crashed from the ceiling into one of the tables.**

"Oh, right. Yang got launched into the air. I almost forgot about that." Cap said.

"She was launched almost 2 minutes ago! She HAD to have hit terminal velocity in that amount of time. That crash had to have about 48.83 tons of force behind it." Tony said.

"She really is incredible." Widow said.

 **Glynda grumbled, but** **Ozpin approached and placed a hand on her shoulder. "** **Let it go." He told her.**

 **Glynda sighed. "They're supposed to be the defenders of the world." She said.**

 **"And they will be, but right now they're still children." He said as Team RWBY were shown laughing together. "So why not let them play the part?" He continued, before walking away from Glynda. "After all, it isn't a role they'll have forever." He finished.**

"That's true. They may have big responsibilities, but they still need time to enjoy their youth and have fun while it lasts." Cap said.

"Indeed. Youth is a precious thing. It should never be squandered." Thor agreed.

"Yeah. Sometimes I wonder just how much of my teenage years I missed doing this." Peter said.

* * *

 **In an old warehouse, the White Fang were moving crates as Emerald and Mercury entered.**

 **"Oh, look! She sent the kids again! This is turning out just like the divorce!" Roman said as he approached the two from behind and wrapped his arms around them in a group hug.**

 **Emerald shivered in disgust. "Spare us the thought of you procreating." She said as she** **and Mercury pulled away from Roman.**

 **"That was a joke. And this... just might tell me where you two have been all day." Roman said as he produced a piece of paper.**

 **"What!? Agh..." Emerald asked as she searched her person.**

"So, she's a good thief, but she's not immune to getting pick-pocketed herself." Widow said.

"Looks like she's not quite a master after all." Hawkeye said.

 **"I'm a professional, sweetheart. Pay attention, maybe you'll learn something." He said, before holding up the piece of paper. "Why do you have this address?" He asked.**

 **"Wouldn't you like to know?" Emerald asked.**

 **"Yeah, I would. Now where have you been all day?" Romand demanded.**

 **"Cleaning up your problems. One of them, at least." Mercury taunted.**

 **"I had that under control." Roman growled.**

 **"Two packed bags and a ticket out of Vale said otherwise." Mercury countered.**

"These two are pretty confident." Tony said.

"Well, we know the fire girl is in charge, not Roman. And they're her associates, so if Roman's smart, he won't touch them." Cap said.

 **"Listen, you little punk. If it were up to me, then I would take you and your little street rat friend here and..." Roman started.**

 **"Do what, Roman?"** **Cinder questioned as she appeared on a platform above them. She stepped onto an automated lift, riding it down to their level.**

 **Roman laughed nervously. "I'd, uh... not kill them?" He said unsurely.**

"Ha! He got put in his place!" Peter laughed.

"Wimp." Hulk chuckled.

 **"Cinder!"** **Emerald said excitedly.**

 **"I thought I made it clear that you would eliminate the would-be runaway." Cinder told Roman.  
**

 **"I was going to..." Roman started.  
**

 **"He was going to escape to Vacuo! Mercury and I decided to take it upon ourselves to kill the rat." Emerald interrupted.**

 **"I think he was some sort of cat, actually." Mercury corrected.**

 **"What? Like a puma?" Emerald asked, giggling a bit.  
**

 **"Yeah, there ya go." Mercury agreed.  
**

"They're joking about having killed someone. They're at least as bad as Roman." Cap growled.

"Indeed. You should respect the fallen. They are truly scoundrels." Thor said angrily.

 **"Quiet. Did I not specifically instruct you two to keep your hands clean while in Vale?" Cinder questioned them.** **As she spoke, Roman pointed a finger at the pair while laughing in agreement.**

 **"I just thought..." Emerald started as** **Roman used his fingers to mime having a slit throat.**

 **"Don't think... obey." Cinder said.**

 **"Yes ma'am. It won't happen again."** **Emerald said apologetically.**

 **"And you. Why wasn't this job done sooner?"** **Cinder asked, turning to Roman**

 **"Uh..? Eh..? Eh..? EHHHHH!" Roman asked,** ** **pointing to his right, then to his left, then behind him at the massive amount of Dust crates and other forms of cargo.** "Sorry if I've been busy stealing every speck of Dust in the Kingdom!" He snapped.**

"Oh, yeah, that's really not good." Tony said.

"With that much Dust, they could take on any army." Widow said.

 **"You're an inspiration to every punk with a gun and a ski mask." Mercury taunted as Emerald laughed at the remark.**

 **"Look around, kid. I've got this town running scared! Police camping out at every corner, Dust prices through the roof, and we're sitting pretty on an old warehouse with more Dust crystals, vials, and rounds than we know what to do with! Speaking of which, if you guys wouldn't mind filling me in on your grand master plan, it might actually make my next string of robberies go a little smoother!" Roman ranted as he emphasized the last word by clenching his fist.**

"Sounds like someone's not happy with how they're running things." Hawkeye said.

"But if he gets too far out of line, he'll have to answer to Cinder. And she seems good at keeping everyone in line." Peter said.

 **Cinder approached Roman. "Oh, Roman. Have a little faith." She said as she placed her hand on his face. "You'll know what you need when you need to know it." She explained. Roman seemed entranced, but then looked away with a grunt. "Besides, we're done with Dust." She said as she began to walk away.**

 **"O-okay, then what now?" Roman asked.**

 **"We're moving. Have the White Fang clear out this building. I'll send you details and coordinates tonight." She explained.**

"That can't be good. It means they're ready to move on with their plan. So whatever they have planned for Vale and Beacon, they're getting even closer to carrying it out." Cap said.

"Have faith, Captain. We've seen what young Ruby and her friends are capable of. Surely they can handle whatever these villains have planned." Thor said.

"Yeah, they'll take 'em down, no problem." Hulk agreed.

 **"Coordinates?" Roman asked.**

 **"We're proceeding to phase two."** **Cinder explained, looking back at Roman.**

 **Cinder, Mercury and Emerald began to walk away. Roman attempted to light a cigar, but realized Emerald had stolen his lighter. She turned back to face him and stuck her tongue out defiantly.**

* * *

"Well, looks like Roman's not as professional as he thought." Cap said, chuckling a bit at seeing the crime lord robbed and outwitted.

"Still, whatever Cinder's plan is, it's moving forward. And that can only mean bad things for Ruby and the others." Widow said.

"Yeah. Whatever they need THAT much dust for, it can't be good. They could even take over Wakanda with that." Hawkeye said.

"I'm sure they'll be fine. Ruby could always make another tornado and sent them all packing." Tony said.

"Yeah, that was incredible! It's official, she's AT LEAST as fast as the speed of sound." Peter said.

"And you didn't even see the Red trailer." Hulk said.

"But indeed, Team RWBY are indeed powerful warriors and incredible fighters! That food fight of theirs shall be told for generations to come!" Thor boomed.

"Yeah. Never thought some watermelons and baguettes could be so dangerous." Tony said.

"And that's just the first episode. We'll have to see what else is in store." Natasha said, playing the next episode.

* * *

 **A/N: Worry not, everyone! The Avengers are once again watching and loving the adventures of our favorite color-coordinated team. I hope you all enjoyed it! It feels good to work on this again after a month. I think I did a pretty good job, but let me know what you think.**


	18. Episode 12: Welcome to Beacon

"Alright. Time for another episode." Peter said.

"Welcome to Beacon? I feel like we've seen the place plenty of times for them to just now have an episode that welcomes us." Tony said.

"Maybe they're welcoming someone new." Steve suggested.

"Well, we're about to find out." Widow said, starting the episode.

* * *

 **The camera zoomed in on Beacon, passing a large and unnerving ship as it descends upon a landing pad. Two Bullheads flew by as the camera slowly lowered to show ant-like swarms of people on the paths around Beacon. The camera shifted to the top of a tower veiled behind clouds. Ozpin and Glynda could be seen through the window into Ozpin's office.**

"THAT is a lot of ships." Hawkeye said, a bit taken aback.

"You'd almost think it was being invaded." Peter commented.

"A foolish idea! Beacon is filled with mighty warriors! They may be young, but they are formidable!" Thor bellowed.

 **"Ironwood certainly loves bringing his work wherever he travels." Glynda said, clearly annoyed.  
**

 **"Well, running an academy and a military makes him a busy man." Ozpin explained. The camera switched to an over-the-shoulder from Ozpin's perspective as three more Bullheads flew in. "But yes, those are a bit of an eyesore." He admitted. A chirping beep sounded repeatedly. Ozpin turned to see a hollow-message "Access Requested" on his desk. "Come in." He invited.**

 **The camera switched to a low perspective beyond Ozpin's desk and facing the doors as they slid open to reveal Ironwood as Ozpin approached to greet him.**

 **"Ozpin!"** **Ironwood greeted cordially.**

 **Ozpin stood at attention. "** **Hello, General." He greeted.**

"General Ironwood? Calling it now, he's got some kind of robotic parts." Tony said.

"He runs the Academy and Military of his Kingdom. Then they're connected. That's an easy way to pressure his Huntsman to joining the army." Cap said suspiciously.

 **"Please, drop the formalities." Ironwood said as both approached and shook hands as Glynda also approached. "It's been too long. And Glynda! It has certainly been too long since we last met." He said as he greeted her.**

 **"Oh, James!" Glynda said, giving a personable wave and then dropped all pleasantries. "I'll be outside."She said, walking away.**

"Well, Glynda's certainly not a fan of him." Widow said.

"Shot down!" Hulk laughed.

 **"Well, she hasn't changed a bit." Ironwood said.  
**

 **The camera shifted and Glynda could be seen from behind Ozpin and Ironwood as she exited the room.**

 **"So, what in the world has brought you all the way down from Atlas?" Ozpin asked as he turned to his desk. He picked up a mug and a kettle, pouring as he spoke. "Headmasters don't typically travel with their students, for the Vytal Festival." He said as he turned and offered the cup to Ironwood.**

 **The camera shifted to a close-up showing the mug changing hands. A clink was heard. "Well, you know how much I love Vale this time of year." Ironwood said as he produced a canteen from his inside coat pocket and poured its contents into his mug. "Besides, with you hosting, I thought that this might be a good opportunity for us to catch up." He explained as Ozpin walked around to his desk, kettle and a new mug in hand.**

 **"I can certainly appreciate the quality time between friends, however, a small fleet outside my window has me concerned."** **Ozpin explained as he st and poured himself some coffee.**

"You're not alone, Ozpin." Cap agreed.

"So this is what Atlas is like? Questionable first impressions at best." Peter said.

 **"Well, concerned is what brought them here." Ironwood said.  
**

 **"I understand that travel between kingdoms has become increasingly difficult." Ozpin said.**

 **"Oz, you and I both know why I brought those men." Ironwood told him.  
**

 **Ozpin took a drink and set down his mug. "We are in a time of peace. Shows of power like this are just going to give off the wrong impression." Ozpin explained. Off-screen, Ironwood could be heard setting his mug down.**

"Yeah, it's pretty hard not to think "war" or "invasion" when an army shows up on your doorstep. I should know." Tony said.

"Indeed, we find this to be a common occurrence." Thor agreed.

 **"But if what Qrow said is true..." He started.**

 **"If what Qrow said is true, then we will handle it tactfully." Ozpin emphasized this as he held up an index finger. "It's the Vytal Festival. A time to celebrate unity and peace. So I suggest that you not scare people by transporting hundreds of soldiers halfway across the continent." He explained again.**

 **"I'm just being cautious." Ironwood told him.**

"No, one or two ships for extra back-up is cautious. A whole fleet is overkill." Hawkeye said.

"And those are two things that should NEVER be confused with each other." Natasha agreed.

 **"As am I. Which is why we will continue to train the best Huntsmen and Huntresses we can." Ozpin countered.**

 **"Believe me, I am." Ironwood said as he turned and walked away. He stopped near the door and looked back at Ozpin. "But ask yourself this: Do you honestly believe your children can win a war?" He asked, before he continued on his way to the exit.**

 **"I hope they never have to." Ozpin said.**

"Yeah, as a teenager who has been through a war or two, I'd rather not have others go through that." Peter said.

"And that's why we're here. So they don't have to." Hulk said, patting Spider-Man on the back... and accidentally knocking him off the couch.

* * *

 **In the Beacon Academy library, Team RWBY was shown playing Remnant: The Game. The camera panned from Weiss to Yang, then to Blake, who was obviously distracted, before finally landing on Ruby, who had been contemplating her next move.**

"A board game. Nice. Too many kids play video games these days." Cap said.

"Probably because video games don't take 3 hours to finish." Peter said.

"Jeez, Cap, I know you're like 90, but you don't have to act like it." Tony said.

 **"Hmmmmm... All right... All right!" Ruby said off-screen, before the camera focused on her as she pointed at Yang. "Yang Xiao Long, prepare your kingdom for battle!" She announced.**

 **"Bring it on!"** **Yang shouted, thrusting her elbow down as she balled her fist.**

"A battle of sisters! Truly, this shall be a fight to remember!" Thor cheered.

"You know they're not really fighting, right?" Hawkeye told him.

 **"I deploy the Atlesian Air Fleet!" Ruby declared as she slapped her card down on the table. Yang feigned a look of shock. "Looks like I get to fly right over your Ursai and attack your walls directly!" She explained and made noises like airplanes flying and bombing as she made a bird with her hands.**

 **"You fiend!"** **Yang accused, feigning indignance as she pointed at Ruby.**

 **Ruby was now ducked at one end of the table. The camera zoomed across the table to show the board and its player pieces in detail. "And since Atlas is part of Mantle, my repair time is only one turn." She explained as she peaked her head up.**

"Sounds like Ruby's got this all wrapped up." Natasha said.

"It's never that simple with board games." Hulk said.

 **She gave a look of surprise as, off-screen, Yang could be heard laughing arrogantly. The camera then focused on the older sister as she** **raised a card. "Pretty sneaky, sis, but you just activated my trap card!" Yang said as she showed the card to the camera. Ruby was visibly disturbed. "Giant Nevermore!" Yang declared as she slammed the card down on the table. "If I roll a seven or higher, fatal feathers will slice your fleet in two!" She explained.**

 **A scene of a Nevermore flying over a flaming field of swords impaled in the ground played over the conversation.**

 **"But, if you roll a six or lower, the Nevermore will turn on your own forces!"** ** **Ruby countered, pointing at Yang as t** he Nevermore was shown to be turning back toward Yang. **

**"That's just a chance I'm willing to take." Yang said as the two glared at each other. Yang was heard shouting triumphantly off-screen.**

"A bold strategy. But will it pay off?" Thor wondered.

"Eh, 50/50." Tony said.

"But, it's all she's got." Cap countered.

 **Team JNPR was shown as Yang and Ruby bantered on about the game. Ren and Pyrrha were studying and Nora's snot bubble inflated and deflated as she slept, even as Ren flipped the page of his book, which landed on her head.**

 **"Nooooo! My fearless soldiers!" Ruby cried off-screen in despair.  
**

 **"Eh, most of them were probably androids." Yang dismissed off-screen.**

 **"Goodbye my friends, you will be avenged." Ruby said off-screen, sounding on the verge of tears.  
**

"Poor Ruby!" Spider-Man said sadly.

"Feeling sorry for your girlfriend?" Hawkeye teased.

"She's not my girlfriend!" Peter snapped.

Natasha, meanwhile, was somewhat annoyed by Yang's statement. "Androids are still people, Yang. Vision's an android, yet we couldn't bear to lose him." She said.

 **"Not until I draw my rewards! Which are double this round thanks to the Mistral Trade Route!"**

 **"Bah!" Ruby snapped off-screen.**

 **"Oh. Have pancakes."** **Nora snored and talked in her sleep.**

 **"Oh, and what's this? The Smugglers of Wind Path?" Yang teased off-screen.  
**

 **Pyrrha cleared her throat and then confiscated a comic book Jaune was reading, trading it for a textbook.**

 **"Bah! Bah, I say!" Ruby argued off-screen.**

 **"I say, it looks like I'm taking two cards in my hand!" Yang continued to taunt off-screen.**

 **As Pyrrha read Jaune's comic, a Nevermore player piece was tossed over Jaune's shoulder. Another piece bounced off of his head.**

 **"Have you no heart?" Ruby cried off-screen, before she collapsed on the table. "Nooo!" She groaned.  
**

The Avengers all laughed throughout this whole scene, between the bickering of the sisters, Nora's sleep mumbling and the flying board game pieces, it was hard not to laugh. "Oh, man. These kids are a riot." Tony said.

"Indeed, Ruby unleashed a fierce barrage of thrown projectiles." Thor said.

"Who knew a board game could become a war zone." Widow said.

"Thinking of food when she's sleeping. You and me both, Nora." Hulk said.

"At least Ren and Pyrrha were reading like they should be. It's a library after all." Cap said.

"Yeah. And she got Jeanne studying instead of reading comics." Peter said.

"Man, you two are the biggest killjoys." Hawkeye said.

 **"Well, Weiss, it's your turn." Yang said.**

 **"I have... absolutely no idea what's going on." Weiss said, clearly confused.**

 **Yang slid up beside her and put her hand on her shoulder. "Look, it's easy! You're playing as Vacuo which means that all Vacuo-based cards come with a bonus." She explained.  
**

 **"That sounds dumb." Weiss said.**

"All of this is confusing, if you ask me." Widow said.

"Probably because we don't know all the rules and details." Cap tried to defend the game.

 **"See, you've got Sandstorm, Desert Scavenge... Oh, oh!"** ** **Yang continued as she started looking through Weiss' cards, before s** he pulled up a card to show Weiss. "Resourceful Raider! See, now you can take Ruby's discarded Air Fleet—" She started.  
**

 **"Nooo!" Ruby cried.  
**

"Come on, leave Ruby alone!" Peter complained.

"Not going so good for your girl-" Tony started.

"Don't say it!" Peter said.

"Well, now she knows all of Weiss' cards, she can come up with a counter." Hawkeye said.

 **"—and put it in your hand!" Yang finished.**

 **"Okay." Weiss said, slightly understanding.**

 **"And since Vacuo warriors have an endurance against Natural-based hazards, you can use Sandstorm to disable my ground forces and simultaneously infiltrate my kingdom!" Yang explained, before she pointed a finger at Weiss. "Just know that I will not forget this declaration of war." She warned, before she pulled away and returned to her seat.**

 **"And that means..." Weiss started.**

 **"You're just three moves away from conquering Remnant!" Ruby finished through her tears.  
**

 **Weiss stood and a thunder clap accompanied Weiss' overjoyed psychotic laughter. "Y-yes! Fear the almighty power of my forces! Cower as they pillage your homes and weep as they take your children from your very arms!" She announced menacingly.  
**

The Avengers were all shocked at this. "What is wrong with this girl?!" Hulk asked.

"Not even Loki is so cruel!" Thor said.

"Every time we think she's getting better, she has a moment like this." Natasha said.

 **"Trap card..." Yang said off-screen as her arm appeared holding the card.**

 **"Huh?" Weiss asked.**

 **Yang shuffled the pieces on the board, Weiss' pieces disappearing in a puff of smoke. "Your armies have been destroyed." She said simply.**

 **Weiss slumped in her chair, crying. "I hate this game of emotions we play." She whined.**

 **Ruby hopped into Weiss' lap. "** **Stay strong, Weiss! We'll make it through this together!" She said, still crying herself.  
**

 **"Shut up!" Weiss snapped, but hugged Ruby, anyway. "Don't touch me!" She sobbed.**

The Avengers chuckled at this display. "Looks like you've got some competition, Spidey." Hawkeye said.

"There is no competition!" Peter said.

"Because you're better than Weiss?" Tony taunted.

"Because Ruby isn't my girlfriend!" Spider-Man shouted.

 **"Alright Blake, you're up!"** **Yang said, putting her arms up behind her head.**

 **"Oh, um, sorry, what am I doing?" Blake asked.**

 **"You're playing as Vale, trying to conquer the Kingdoms of Remnant!" Yang explained.**

 **"Right." Blake said.**

"Something's clearly bothering her. She seems way too distracted." Cap noted.

"She's probably still upset over the White Fang incident. She was part of the group, so she most likely feels a responsibility to stop whatever they're doing." Widow explained.

 **Jaune approached the table. "Hey! Can I play?" He asked.**

 **"Sorry Jaune, we've already got 4 people." Ruby explained.**

 **"Besides, this game requires a certain level of tactical cunning that I seriously doubt that you possess." Weiss taunted.**

 **"Uhh, you attacked your own naval fleet 2 turns ago." Yang interjected, to which Weiss made an annoyed sound.**

The Avengers all chuckled at this.

 **"Bring it on, Ice Queen! I'll have you know that I have been told that I am a natural born leader!" Jaune countered.**

 **"By who? Your mother?" Weiss asked.**

 **"A-and Pyrrha!" Jaune added.**

 **"Hello again!"** **Pyrrha greeted, waving.**

This got the Avengers to burst out laughing. "Oh, man. Pyrrha's way too good to him." Tony said.

"She likes to be nice. That can't always be easy to do with someone like Jaune." Peter said.

 **"Come on, let me play your hand for a turn!"** **Jaune begged with both hands folded together.**

 **"I'm not trusting you with the good citizens of Vacuo!" Weiss argued.  
**

 **"Why not? You've trusted me with way more important stuff before. I mean, you told us all that Blake is secretly a Fa-" Jaune started, before** **Pyrrha darted over and slapped a hand over Jaune's mouth.**

 **"Fun-loving person, whom we all admire and respect." She covered up as Jaune laughed nervously.**

 **Everyone looked nervously at Blake who looked obviously annoyed that her secret is out.**

"Way to keep a secret, Jaune." Hulk growled.

"Clearly, he should not have been trusted with such knowledge." Thor agreed.

"It's not just him. Weiss and the others should've done a better job at keeping the secret SECRET. They should already know how Blake feels about this." Cap said.

 **"Right. That. Ladies, enjoy your battle." Jaune said and bowed as Pyrrha walked away. Footsteps could be heard off-screen.**

 **"'Sup losers." Sun greeted off-screen, before he** **appeared holding his fingers in a "peace" sign.**

 **"Hey Sun!" Ruby greeted.**

 **The camera shifted to show that Neptune was next to Sun.** **"Ruby, Yang, Blake... Ice Queen." Sun greeted.**

 **"Why does everyone keep calling me that?" Weiss demanded.  
**

"Because you fight with ice and you're so cold to everyone around you." Hawkeye said.

"'Nuff said." Tony agreed.

 **"I never got a chance to formally introduce you to my old friend." Sun explained.**

 **"Uhh, aren't libraries for reading?" Neptune asked.**

 **"Thank you!"** **Ren** (and Peter) **shouted** , **throwing his arms up.**

 **"Pancakes!"** **Nora shouted as well, popping her head up.**

This got another good round of laughter from the Avengers. "What? The library is a sacred place for reading, studying and absorbing knowledge." Peter said.

"It used to be, but now it's just a place kids go to hang out or use computers." Natasha said.

"Times change. Besides, no one reads books anymore." Hulk said.

 **"Shut up. Don't be a nerd." Sun told him.**

 **"Geh, geh, geh, geh! 'Intellectual', okay? Thank you."** ** **Neptune corrected, shaking a finger at Sun.** "I'm Neptune." He greeted, waving.**

 **"So Neptune, where are you from?" Weiss asked.**

 **"Haven." He answered, approaching Weiss. "And I don't believe I've caught your name, snow angel." He asked.**

 **"Um, I'm Weiss." Weiss introduced herself.**

 **"Are you kidding me!?" Jaune shouted.**

"The new kid's got the charm, Jaune, you don't." Tony said.

"Looks and charm aren't everything, Tony. And something tells me this guy's charm is gonna run out QUICK." Cap said.

 **"Pleasure to meet you." Neptune said.**

 **"I never took you as the board game playing type."** **Sun said to Blake.**

 **"Right, well, I think I'm done playing actually. I'll see you guys later."** **Blake said, shoving Sun aside and leaving the room.**

 **"Women."** **Nora said, shrugging.**

This got a few chuckles from the Avengers, while Natasha rolled her eyes and face-palmed. "You're a woman, Nora." She said.

"You're daughter's not the sharpest sword in the armory, is she?" Spider-Man asked Thor.

"Don't start that again!" Thor snapped, pointing his hammer at Peter.

* * *

 **The scene switched to Team RWBY's room. The camera panned from the night sky seen through the window over to Blake as she sat with her knees folded to her chest on her bed. Voices could be heard echoing in her head.**

 ** _"Brothers of the White Fang, why are you aiding this scum?"_ Blake's own voice demanded.  
**

 ** _"The White Fang and I are going in on a joint business venture together."_ Roman's voice explained.**

 **The sounds of battle including slashes, grunts, gunfire, and Torchwick's laughter.**

"Well, Cap, Widow, looks like you two were right on the money." Tony said.

"She was part of the White Fang. She must somehow feel like its her responsibility to stop them." Cap said.

 **"Well, this has certainly been an eventful evening." Ozpin said as t** **he scene shifted to show that Blake was sitting in an interviewing office as Ozpin entered.**

 ** **"Hmph."** Blake quietly acknowledged his statement, most likely worried about what he'd say. **

**"I'm sure that after a night of thwarting attempted robbery, you probably just want to go home and take a nap. But, I was hoping that maybe we could have a chance to talk." Ozpin said.**

 **"Of course." Blake agreed.**

 **"Wonderful. As you know, in order to enroll at my academy, students must first pass a rigorous entrance exam. Most applicants spend years of preparation training at one of the many combat schools around the world. You are one of the few that did not. And you passed the exam with flying colors." Ozpin said.**

 **"I was raised outside the kingdoms. If you can't fight, you can't survive." Blake explained.**

"So people do live outside the safety of the kingdoms. That's interesting." Natasha said.

"And from the tale Blake has told us, surviving in such an environment creates mighty warriors!" Thor said.

"This just shows there's still quite a bit we need to learn about how Remnant works." Hawkeye said.

 **"Well, you have most certainly survived, Blake. I admire your drive. And I am proud to run a school that accepts individuals from all walks of life. Rich, poor, Human..." He started, sipping his coffee. "Faunus..." He added, to which** **Blake glared at him.** **"Why do you wear that bow, Blake? Why hide who you are?" He asked.  
**

 **"You may be willing to accept the Faunus, Professor Ozpin, but your species is not." Blake answered.**

 **"True, but we are continuing to take strides to lessen the divide." Ozpin said.**

 **"With all due respect, you need to start taking some larger strides. Until then, I'd rather avoid any unnecessary attention. I want people to see me for who I am, not what I am." Blake explained.**

"Being judged by who you are, not what you look like. I like that." Hulk said, smiling a bit.

"Exactly. A person's actions are what matters, not their appearance." Cap agreed.

 **"And what are you?" Ozpin asked.**

 **"I don't understand what you're asking." Blake said, confused.**

 **"How did you know the White Fang would be at the shipyard tonight?" He asked.**

 **"I didn't. I just happened to be at the right place at the right time." Blake explained.**

 **"You wouldn't have been the first. But what happened tonight was not an isolated incident. I may be your headmaster, but I am also a Huntsman, and it is my sworn duty to protect this world from the forces that conspire against it. Blake, are you sure there is nothing else you would like to tell me?" Ozpin asked.**

 **"I'm sure." She confirmed.**

 **"Very well. Thank you for your time, Ms. Belladonna." Ozpin said, standing and heading to the door. He stopped and turned to Blake. "If you ever need to talk to me." He started, the camera showing Blake momentarily. "Please, don't hesitate to ask." He finished, shutting the door behind him.**

"But... why wouldn't she tell him about the White Fang? She probably has valuable info on their members, maybe some bases or strongholds..." Peter suggested.

"But then she'd have to tell him SHE was in the White Fang. And I doubt he'd let her off as easy as her team did." Natasha said.

* * *

 **The rest of Team RWBY was shown entering their dorm room.**

 **"Ugh, we should have never let him play!" Yang grumbled.**

 **"You're just mad cuz' the new guy beat you! See, if you had just attacked when I told you none of this would have happened." Ruby told her.**

"Well, it looks like not even Yang could handle the new guy." Hawkeye said.

"Indeed. I may have underestimated how greatly the tides of battle may turn in these board games." Thor said.

 **As they entered, Blake approached the door to leave.**

 **"Stop." Weiss ordered, pointing at Blake. Blake's hand retracted from the door knob. "Lately you've been quiet, antisocial and moody!" She said.  
**

 **"Uh, have you met Blake?" Yang asked.**

 **"Which I get is kind of your thing, but you've been doing it more than usual! Which quite frankly, is unacceptable! You made a promise to me, to all of us, that you would let us know if something was wrong!" Weiss argued, then suddenly flipped through the air as six copies of her emblem flew through the air. "So, Blake Belladonna, what is wrong!?" She demanded, pointing her finger at Blake again.**

 **Weiss was shown to be balancing precariously on a chair's back feet. She quickly put the chair away and returned to stand near the girls.**

"I'd say that's a bit dramatic, but at least she's showing concern for her teammate. I can appreciate that." Cap said.

"Yeah. It ALMOST makes up for her little evil episode back in the library." Tony said.

"Yep. If nothing else, she's definitely... eccentric." Peter said.

 **"I just, I don't understand how everyone can be so calm." Blake said.**

 **"You're still thinking about Torchwick?"** **Ruby asked, approaching Blake.**

 **"Torchwick, the White Fang, all of it! Something big is happening and no one is doing anything about it!" Blake explained frantically.**

"You know, situations like this are what get us on our craziest adventures. One of us gets obsessed over the actions of some villains and we have to go all over the world figuring out their plans. Seriously, if I had a dollar for every time it happened, I could probably by Stark's company." Hawkeye said.

"It's both cute and ridiculous that you think that." Tony said.

 **"Ozpin told us not to worry. Between the police and the Huntsmen, I'm sure they can handle it." Yang said.**

 **"Well I'm not! They don't know the White Fang like I do!" Blake countered.**

 **"Okay, between blowing up nightclubs, stopping thieves, and fighting for freedom, I'm sure the three of you think that you're all ready to go out and apprehend these ne'er-do-wells!" Weiss explained.  
**

 **"Uh, who?"** **Ruby asked off-screen.**

"Who says ne'er-do-wells, anymore? Not even Thor says that." Hulk said.

"Indeed. It is a rather outdated term." Thor agreed.

 **"But let me once again be the voice of reason. We're students! We're not ready to handle this sort of situation!" Weiss told them.**

 **"Well yeah, but..." Ruby started.**

 **"We're not ready!" Weiss cut her off.**

 **"And we may never be ready! Our enemies aren't just going to sit around and wait for graduation day." Blake countered, pointing toward the door. "They're out there, somewhere, planning their next move, and none of us know what it is, but it's coming! Whether we're ready or not!" She finished.**

"Blake's got a point. I lost count of the number of times Fury told me and my team we weren't ready for some big mission, but we went behind his back and did it anyway. And we won." Peter said.

"As long as they're smart, careful and work together, they'll be ready for anything. That's how we've always done things." Cap said.

 **"Okay, all in favor of becoming the youngest Huntresses to single-handedly taking down a corrupt organization conspiring against the Kingdom of Vale..."** ** **Ruby said rapidly, doing random gestures while looking manic.** "say aye." She finished calmly, raising her hand.**

"Did anyone else have a hard time understanding that?" Hawkeye asked, everyone else raising their hands. "Good. Glad it's not just me." He said.

"No, Ruby's gotta learn not to move her mouth as fast as her feet." Widow said.

 **"Yes! I love it when you're feisty!"** **Yang said eagerly, pumping her fist enthusiastically and pointing at Blake.**

 **"Well, I suppose it could be fun." Weiss said.  
**

 **"None of you said aye..." Ruby said dejectedly.**

"Poor Ruby. All of her plans to make things exciting go wrong." Peter said.

"Well, it's something you two have in common, then." Tony teased.

 **"Alright then, we're in this together!" Blake said.**

 **"Let's hatch a plan!"** **Ruby said, gesturing.**

 **"Yeah!"** **Yang agreed, doing a "Double-guns" at Ruby.**

 **Ruby suddenly gasped. "I left my board game at the library!" She freaked out.  
**

 **"We're doomed."** **Weiss said, placing her hand to her head.**

"I must admit, I am not instilled with confidence." Thor admitted.

"It's only a small thing. It's no big deal." Cap tried to defend the young leader.

 **"I'll be right back!"** ** **Ruby said, running out of the room and down the hallway, before t** he sound of collision was heard as Ruby seemed to slam into the camera and disappeared off-screen. "Oo-oof! Oh g-!" She groaned, looking up. "Sorry. Are you okay?" She asked.**

 **The music score took on an eerie tone.**

 **"I'm fine." Emerald said as she offered her hand from off-screen. "Just watch where you're going." She said as Ruby was shown to be slouched on the ground as she took Emerald's hand. Mercury stood beside them.**

"It's them!" Hulk said in shock.

"What are they doing there?!" Hawkeye demanded, equally shocked.

"The fiends! They've infiltrated Beacon! But how?!" Thor wondered.

"They're not storming the castle, so they must be undercover as students. They must be after something in Beacon. And whatever it is, it can't be good." Widow said.

 **"Oh, right, sorry." Ruby apologized. "Um, I'm Ruby! Are you new?"** **She asked as Emerald helped her to her feet.**

 **"Visiting from Haven, actually."** ** **Cinder answered, approaching as Emerald stepped aside to reveal her,** turning to look at her. **

**Ruby stared for a moment and Cinder stared back.**

"This could be bad. Ruby didn't get a full view of her when they first fought, but she may remember her eyes." Cap started.

"And if she recognizes them, no doubt they'll try and kill her so she doesn't interfere with their plans." Tony finished.

"Oh, no! Ruby!" Spider-Man said fearfully.

 **"Ooh! You're here for the festival! But exchange students have their own dormitory." Ruby explained.**

 **"I guess we just got turned around." Mercury said.**

 **"Hey, don't worry, it happens all the time." Ruby said dismissively as Mercury and Emerald walked past Ruby." Uh, your building is just east of here." She informed them.**

The Avengers let out a sigh of relief. There were conflicting emotions at the moment. "Dang! It looks like they're getting away with it." Hawkeye said.

"I'm not happy about it, either, but it might be for the best Ruby didn't find them out, or things could've gotten very violent." Widow said.

"And we already know they don't mind killing." Hulk growled.

 **"Thanks." Cinder said off-screen, before she walked past Ruby, gesturing in acknowledgement. "Maybe we'll see you around." She said.**

 **"Yeah, maybe!" Ruby agreed as the camera shifted to show the faces of the trio as they continued to walk away. Behind them, Ruby could be seen waving. "Oh, uh, and welcome to Beacon!" She said as Cinder grinned evilly and her eyes glowed menacingly as the screen faded to black.**

* * *

The Avengers were shocked at this. "I can't believe it! They made their way into Beacon!" Hawkeye said.

"An outright assault is one thing, the students could probably handle it, no problem. But from inside, they have time to plan, find weaknesses and make a bigger plan." Tony theorized.

"And like Widow said, they're more than likely after something in particular." Cap said.

"That's almost always a reason to send in a mole or a spy, to uncover secrets or retrieve items of value." Natasha explained.

"I'm just glad Ruby's okay. We don't know how much of a fighter Tukson was, but if Mercury and Emerald beat him as easily as they did, they must be dangerous." Peter said.

"Even more so with Cinder there. She is effortlessly the most dangerous of the three." Thor added.

"I wish we could just go there and smash them!" Hulk snapped.

"Well, they aren't going to do anything for now. All we can hope is that Ruby and the others figure out her plan before they have a chance to put it in motion." Natasha said.

Suddenly, an alarm went off. "Unfortunately, we're gonna have to wait to see how that plays out later. The Serpent Society is attacking the city." Tony explained.

"Well, Hulk, maybe you can pretend a few of those snakes are Cinder and the others." Hawkeye said.

"Now it's gonna be fun." Hulk said, cracking his neck and knuckles.

"Let's hurry and wrap this up, team. Then maybe we can still come back and catch a few more episodes. Avengers, Assemble!" Cap said as they all hurried to face this new threat.

* * *

 **A/N: Another chapter down! I hope you all enjoyed this. I was thinking this would be a good place to put another World of Remnant, most likely about the Kingdoms, particularly Vale, but then I remembered all the WoR's about the Kingdom happened after the Fall of Beacon and the Vale WoR specifically mentions it, so that would be a major spoiler. So those will be saved until at least after Volume 3.**

 **So, up next will be a few chapters of The Avengers watch My Hero Academia, so PLEASE be patient and don't freak out if this doesn't get updated for a few weeks. And to GreatSaiyaman, who keeps asking for me to make The Avengers react to The Justice League, I don't know if you mean the show or the movie, but sorry, I don't think I can do that. Besides, I already have two stories of the Avengers reacting to stuff that take up most of my time, so I can't really make another one, especially if I ever want to make RWBY reacting to the MCU, which I have planned at some point, but can't really say when at this point. I'll try my best, that's all I can do.**

 **But, again, I really hope you enjoy this and I'll see you next time!**


	19. Episode 13: A Minor Hiccup

"So, Team RWBY is ready to take action, but what is their plan?" Cap wondered.

"Whatever it is, I know it's gonna be awesome." Peter said.

"Well, there's only one way to find out." Widow said, starting the episode.

* * *

 **Weiss patiently waited out the minute left on her holographic clock displayed from her desk in the classroom of Professor Peter Port, whose dialogue was merely background nonsense as Jaune slid up next to Weiss.**

 **"So, Weiss, y'know, uh, I-I was thinking after this, maybe we could go grab a bite to eat?" Jaune offered. He turned to the teacher for a second, then turned back to Weiss. "And, uh um, I-I've got two tickets to that new Spruce Willis movie, if you wanna make the trip to Vale. I hear it's awesome." He tried to sweeten the deal. He paused as his words had no effect. "Aaaand maybe after that, we could study together? I mean, you're smart and I'm, uh... Y'know." He completed his offer.**

"Too desperate." Hawkeye said, shaking his head.

"And way too many activities. All guys know it's dinner and a show. You don't push your luck any more than that." Tony added.

"The biggest problem is the fact he's still trying after she's made it clear she's not interested." Natasha countered.

"Spruce Willis? That sounds a lot like Bruce Willis!" Peter said.

"Indeed! A man of many great action films." Thor said.

"Die Hard was awesome." Hulk said.

"So, it seems like they have similar, but different people to us in their world. Maybe they have a Tony Stork or something." Steve suggested.

"Yeah, there's no way their world has anyone as perfect as me in it." Tony dismissed.

 **Finally, the clock in front of Weiss gave a shrill beep as it changed from 3:59 to 4:00 and she dismissed it with a wave of her hand.**

 **The professor was temporarily unaware of the alarm.** **"And then I— Oh."** ** **Port started, posing as a towering monster about to attack, before he s** traightened his stance as the students started to leave. "Timed that one wrong, I guess. Well, the stunning conclusion to this story will have to wait. Until next time!" He announced as they walked out.  
**

"Ugh. That guy again." Natasha hissed.

"And big surprise, all he did was talk about himself all class." Clint said, clearly annoyed.

 **"Weiss? Did you hear me?"** **Jaune asked, watching Weiss as she packed up her Scroll.**

 **"No, no, no, yes."** **Weiss answered each question in order, not even looking at Jaune as she walked away.**

"Ouch. Crash and burn." Peter said with a wince.

"Guy's gotta learn what she likes. Because she's not liking him right now." Hulk said.

"Indeed. Young Jaune's attempts are admirable, but... leave something to be desired, to say the least." Thor said.

 **Upon hearing this, Jaune groaned and did a face-planted into his desk.** **As the rest of Team RWBY walked out of class behind him, Yang ruffled Jaune's hair without even looking. "One day." She assured him.**

Cap smiled at this. "It's nice of Yang to try and pick his spirit up like that." He said.

"Yeah, but she shouldn't lie to the kid. She's just getting his hopes up for Weiss to knock down again." Tony said with a smirk, earning a glare from the Captain.

* * *

 **A close-up of Ruby's hands was shown as she strapped the red laces of her shoes. Switch to a close-up of Weiss' hand gripping the handle of Myrtenaster strapped to her side. Switch to a close-up of Yang's Ember Celica over her left forearm as she slid the chamber. Switch to a close-up of Blake tightening the black ribbons around her arms. Switch to full view of Team RWBY's preparations, revealing their new outfits.**

"Nice outfits." Clint praised.

"They don't have Beacon's permission to be conducting an investigation like this, so getting new outfits so they won't be recognized is smart." Peter said.

 **"I thought that class would never end."** **Blake said, relieved as she approached her bunk as she tightened her wraps.**

 **"Alright, guys, today's the day! The investigation begins!"** **Ruby declared from her position sitting on the hanging bed,** **before she happily leapt off her mattress and onto the floor, arms raised excitedly. She almost landed on Weiss, who was on the bottom bunk.**

 **"I'm glad to see we're taking this so seriously."** **Weiss said, sarcastically.**

 **"Hey, we've got a plan! That's... moderately serious." Yang said from her own bed with a bit of a shrug, Ember Celica's chamber revolving.  
**

"Yep, all good things start with a good plan." Tony said.

"Says the guy who always runs in without a plan." Widow said.

"It's part of my charm." He said, the former assassin rolling her eyes.

 **"Right!" Ruby confirmed, looking around at her teammates. "Everyone remember their roles?" She asked.**

 **Weiss stood up as the camera quickly shifted left to each member who stated their objective. "** **You and I will head to the CCT and check the Schnee records for any other Dust robberies or inconsistencies. Seeing as I'm in the family, it shouldn't be a problem." She answered.**

 **"The White Fang has regular faction meetings to hand out orders and recruit new members. If I can get in, I can hopefully find out what they're planning." Blake confirmed her role.**

 **"I have an old friend on the shady side of town that typically knows everything going on in Vale. Getting information out of him shouldn't be too hard..." Yang explained her job.**

"Do you think she means Junior?" Cap asked.

"She'd be crazy to go their again. He's probably planned for her coming back." Hulk said.

"Nonsense! Yang effortlessly defeated Junior's lackeys before! Doing so again should be child's play!" Thor laughed.

 **The camera dashed back to the leader. "Great! We'll meet up tonight near Yang to go over what we found." Ruby declared again. "Let's do this!" She said excitedly, pumping her fist.**

 **"Yeah!"** ** **Sun cheered off-screen. The** c** **amera shifted right to a smiling Sun as he hung upside-down by his tail in their open window. The whole team was taken aback.**

"What's he doing there?!" Tony asked.

"And has he been spying on them. In their own room! Not cool!" Peter said angrily, crossing his arms.

 **"Sun!"** **Blake said, surprised and alarmed.**

 **"How did you get up there?" Yang asked.**

 **"Ah, it's easy; I do it all the time." Sun said vaguely.  
**

 **"You do what?!" Weiss demanded.**

"That's even creepier!" Widow said, glaring at the monkey faunus.

 **"I climb trees all the time!" Sun clarified without reacting to Weiss' scowl.**

"Sure he does. He may mean well, but this kid's definitely no angel." Clint said.

 **He then flipped into the dorm room. "So, are we finally getting back at that Torchwick guy?" He asked.  
**

 **"We are going to investigate the situation... as a team."** **Blake explained, stepping forward.**

 **"Sorry, Sun. We don't want to get friends involved if we don't have to." Ruby explained.  
**

Cap nodded at this. "Sometimes having fewer people know about something is better. It's easier to keep secret. And less people can get hurt." He said.

"Exactly. Something like this should only be handled by the fewest possible people who are experts at keeping things hidden." Natasha said.

 **"Psh! That's dumb! We should always get friends involved! That's why I brought Neptune!" Sun scoffed at Ruby's idea, before gesturing out the window when he mentioned his teammate.**

 **The girls leaned out the window on top of one another, cartoon-style to see the aforementioned teammate of Sun's standing outside, cool as can be.** **"'Sup?" He said coolly.**

"Or, sure, you can bring in a couple of loud mouth idiots who are sure to ruin everything." Widow sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose.

"They're gonna screw everything up." Hulk groaned.

"Indeed. Sun may be a well an accomplished fighter, but one for secrecy and espionage, he is not." Thor said.

"That's kind of the pot calling the kettle black, big guy, but you're not wrong." Tony told Thor.

 **"How did you even get up here?" Ruby asked.**

 **"I have my ways." He said confidently.** **The camera panned out to reveal that he was standing on a very thin ledge circling the building under the windows.** **"Seriously, though, can I come in? We're like, really high up right now."** **He asked nervously.**

 **Inside the dorm room, the group was standing in a circle as Ruby laid down the new plan. "** **Alright, I'll go with Weiss; Sun, you can go with Blake. And Neptune, you can go with Yang since she doesn't have a partner. Everyone good?" Ruby** **instructed and as she pushed Neptune past Weiss, he slipped her a wink.**

"She altered the plan pretty quick. Nice." Peter said.

"There wasn't too much to change. Just give the people that don't have a partner... a partner." Cap said.

"Well, well, looks like Weiss has a secret admirer." Clint smirked.

 **Weiss looked mildly shocked but then came to her senses quickly. "** **Actually, Ruby, why don't you go with Yang? After all, she is your sister." Weiss offered,  
**

 **Ruby pushed Neptune, who was stiff as a board, up next to yang. When she was done pushing him, he rocked back and fourth, looking nervous. Yang put her hand on his shoulder to stop him from rocking.**

 **"But, Weiss, who would go with you, then?" Ruby asked.**

 **"Well... I guess Neptune could come with me." Weiss said.  
**

"And it looks like Weiss likes him, too." Tony smirked as well.

"And if she's trying to hide it, she's really not doing a good job." Natasha said.

 **Neptune put on a suave look and pointed at Weiss as the team leader cracked up. "Hahaha, nah!" Ruby dismissed the idea.**

 **Weiss was obviously less than amused, yet was powerless to stop Ruby from pulling her by the back out the door.** **"But! But!" She tried to argue,** **sticking her arms out fruitlessly trying to get back to Neptune.**

"DENIED." Spider-Man said in a deep, echoing voice, before laughing.

"No date for Weiss." Hulk laughed as well.

"Likely for the best. It is difficult to focus on the task at hand when being around a love interest." Thor reasoned.

* * *

 **The scene changed to that of a monumental tower that loomed over the sparse trees growing around the crossroads below.**

 **"Woooow! I forget how big the Transmit tower looks up close!"** **Ruby said admiringly off-screen.**

"Eh. It's got nothing on Stark tower." Tony said.

"Do you have to compete with everything?" Steve asked.

"Basically." Tony confirmed.

 **"You should see the one in Atlas!"** **Weiss told her off-screen.**

 **"That was the first one, right?"** **Ruby asked off-screen.**

 **"Correct." Weiss confirmed as she** **and Ruby were seen walking down the path towards the building.** **"Atlas developed the Cross Continental Transmit System to allow the four kingdoms to communicate with one another. It was their gift to the world after the Great War." She explained.**

 **"Oooh, look at me! My name's Weiss! I know facts! I'm rich!"** ** **Ruby mocked her partner by acting high and mighty, then** snorted into her hands at Weiss' frown. **

Natasha sighed at this. "Looks like Ruby still has some growing to do as a leader." She said.

"Hey, it's like Ozpin said, they're still kids. Let them act like it while they still can." Clint reminded her.

 **"Don't be a pest! Besides, the only reason we're here is because you like the tower so much! We could have just as easily made a call from the library!" Weiss criticized.**

 **"I know, but it's so coool! Ooh, I'm going to take a picture!" Ruby said excitedly.** **She grabbed her Scroll from a pocket on her clothes, but in her excitement, the device was launched from her hands, bouncing along the pavement until it lands at Penny's feet.**

"Hey, Penny's back!" Peter said happily.

"We knew she was okay, but Ruby and the others didn't. At least they can relax knowing she's okay." Cap said.

"As far as we know. We knew she wasn't in danger, but she could've still been in trouble." Hulk said.

 **"Oh!" Penny said in surprise as she picked up the Scroll and extended towards the clumsy teen. "You dropped this." She said.**

 **Ruby asked, shocked. "Penny?!"**

 **Penny was similarly surprised. "Uuuh..." She said unsurely.**

"Strange. Penny does not appear to be herself. She should've been overjoyed to see Ruby." Thor said suspiciously.

"Something must be wrong." Widow said.

 **"Where have you been? We haven't seen you since that night at the docks!" Ruby asked worriedly.**

 **"S-Sorry. I think you're confused." Penny lied, but suddenly hiccuped, throwing the Scroll into Ruby's hands. "Uh... I've got to go!" She said and turned quickly and walked away.**

"Weird. She hiccuped right when she lied, like some kind of cue or tell." Cap analyzed.

"That girl never exactly seemed right. There's definitely more than she's letting on." Tony said.

 **"What was that about?"** ** **Weiss asked, turning to Ruby.****

 **"I don't know, but I'm going to find out." Ruby said determinedly and started walking in Penny's direction. "You go make your call! I'll meet up with you later!" She shouted back to her partner.  
**

 **"Wait!"** ** **Weiss called, reaching toward Ruby.** Seeing the futility of stopping her teammate, she lowered her hand and sighed angrily. **

"I would call her out on abandoning Weiss, but this seems important. Besides, Weiss only has to make a phone call." Clint said.

"Yeah, I'm definitely more curious about Penny." Peter agreed.

 **Ruby ran up to Penny as she descended the steps until she gt in front of the non-eccentric redhead. "Penny! Where have you been? It's been weeks!" She said.**

 **"There seems to be a... misunderstanding." Penny tried to dismiss Ruby.  
**

 **"What?!" Ruby asked in shock. Penny continued to walk away. Ruby slid down the rail next to her. "Penny... Is everything okay?" Ruby asked again, but Penny continued forward without reaction. Ruby grabbed her by the arm. "Penny, please stop!" She pleaded. Penny stopped and listened. "Look, I don't know what's wrong, but you have to listen to me! Those guys we fought at the docks, we think they're up to something big, something bad! I need you to tell me what happened to you that night! Please... As a friend." Ruby said supportively.**

 **Penny sighed, then, glancing to her sides swiftly, she walked over to Ruby's side and leaned in close. "It isn't safe to talk here." She said and** **looked around suspiciously, much to Ruby's confusion.**

"So someone's spying on, or looking for Penny." Widow said.

"Then she either knows or has something important... or she's a criminal." Hulk guessed.

* * *

 **Weiss walked through the grand, glowing lobby of the tower with pride, avoiding the central terminal and heading straight for the elevator doors, which slid open automatically and closed when she was inside. The voice of the CCT AI was projected from a panel near the door.**

 **"Hello. Welcome to the CCT. How may I help you?"** **The CCT AI asked.**

 **"I'd like to go to the communications room, please." Weiss answered.**

 **"Absolutely. Could you please place your Scroll on the terminal to verify your identity?"** ** **The CCT AI asked.** Weiss retrieved her Scroll and placed it as directed. "Perfect! Thank you, Miss Schnee." The AI instructed.**

 **Upon the elevator's ascent, Weiss' expressions shifted from pleasant to serious. Upon entering the room, four symbols were seen on a computer - twin axes and wreaths, three flying swords pointing down, a spear and shield inside a fragmented circle and a precise winged shape. Weiss walked up to the front desk where a holographic secretary appeared in the seat.**

"Huh. Having an AI deal with people instead of secretaries. Not a bad idea. Maybe I can use Friday to replace some secretaries and give the secretaries better jobs." Tony pondered.

"I'm sure they'd appreciate that." Clint said.

"Speaking from experience when I had to fake being your secretary, I'd definitely prefer it." Widow told Tony.

 **The CCT AI beeps were heard before the projection spoke in a polite manner. "Welcome to the Beacon Cross Continental Transmit center. How may I help you?" The AI asked.  
**

 **"I need to make a call to Schnee Company World Headquarters in Atlas." Weiss answered again.  
**

 **"Absolutely." The AI confirmed. More beeping was heard. "If you could head over to Terminal 3, I'll patch you through." The AI instructed.**

 **"Thank you!" Weiss said,** **smiling and nodding before walking over to her assigned cubicle-like computer, passing a few Beacon students in uniform - one of which was talking to her mother and asking how things were going back in Signal Academy. She sat at her own display, taking a deep, unhappy breath to prepare for the call ahead. The face of a short-haired brunette appeared on the monitor with the Schnee snowflake rotating behind her.**

 **She did not realize who she was talking to until she looked up.** **"Thank you for calling the Atlas- Oh! Miss Schnee! Good afternoon! Would you like me to patch you through to your father? I think your sister Winter might be here as well." The operator offered.  
**

"So, Weiss has a sister. That would explain why she wanted bunk beds as a kid." Cap said.

"I pray she is not as bad as Weiss first was if we ever see her." Thor said.

"Same." Hulk agreed.

 **"No, thank you! I was actually wondering if you could find some files for me. I've compiled a short list."** **Weiss requested** ** **pleasantly,** producing her Scroll, placing it into a slot on the keyboard, creating a series of noises as the Operator looked at the data from her side of the screen. **

**"I see. If you don't mind... what may I ask is this for?"** **The operator asked.**

 **"School project." Weiss lied.**

 **"Um... There are some sensitive documents on this list, ma'am."** **The operator said, nervously.**

 **"Well, then, I'll be sure to treat them with care." Weiss reassured her.**

Tony chuckled. "I had to do that more than once when I first started as Iron Man." He said.

"And I've done that a few times with Oscorp when Norman's activities were... less than ethical." Peter added.

 **"Right... Very well."** ** **The operator complied, though still nervously. There were** more noises, before she looked back up to Weiss. "The data is being transferred to your Scroll now." She confirmed.  
**

 **"Wonderful! That will be all, then." Weiss said.  
**

 **"Are you sure you wouldn't like me to patch you through to your father before you go?" The operator asked.**

 **Weiss lost her smile, but quickly replaced it.** **"Yes, I'm sure." She confirmed.**

"Weiss truly wishes to avoid speaking to her father at all costs." Thor said.

"From what we saw in that World of Remnant special, it's not too hard to see why." Widow said.

 **"Well, then... Have a nice day!" The operator said, before hanging up.**

 **The call was dropped and so too was Weiss' happy act, seen in the screen's reflection.**

"Weiss did mention her father was always furious when he was home and that made her childhood hard, but it must've been way worse than we could've imagined." Cap said sadly.

Clint lowered his head sadly. "Yeah. Sometimes the only thing worse than not having parents is having parents that are cruel and heartless." He said, remembering his own past.

* * *

 **Penny stood alone near a two-story building with patio furniture and she was looking around nervously when a hand grabbed her shoulder, causing her to jump. She turned to see Ruby grinning. She smiled in return. The scene moved to the two strolling down the street.**

"I don't think she's a criminal. If she was and someone's looking for her, that means she's on the run. In which case, she lets her guard down way too often." Widow analyzed.

"And if she's putting up an act, it's a pretty good one if it gets past us." Tony agreed.

 **"I wish I could help you, Ruby, but I don't know anything about those men." Penny told her.**

 **"Well, what happened to you that night? We were all together, and then you just disappeared! Were you kidnapped?" ruby asked worriedly.  
**

 **"Oh, no! Nothing like that!" Penny reassured her.**

 **"Then where did you go?" Ruby asked.**

 **"I've never been to another kingdom before. My father asked me not to venture out too far, but... You have to understand, my father loves me very much; he just worries a lot." Penny explained.**

"We've got one father that doesn't care and another that seems to care too much." Peter said.

"There's all different kinds of parents." Hulk said.

 **"Believe me, I know the feeling." Ruby said with a grin and Penny grinned back. "But why not let us know you were okay?" She questioned**

 **"I... was asked not to talk to you. Or Weiss. Or Blake. Or Yang. Anybody, really." Penny told her.**

 **"Was your dad that upset?" Ruby asked.**

 **"No, it wasn't my father..." Penny started to say, but b** **efore she could continue, she and Ruby heard the sound of megaphones announcing something, turning around the corner to look at the platform in the center of a plaza where the holographic image of James Ironwood was seen before six AK-130 Androids, who were in turn standing in front of two large metal storage cases with the spear-and-shield emblem on their doors.**

"Oh, must be showing off some new weapons. That was always fun... Until I found out they were being used against the people I made them for and one blew a bunch of shrapnel into my chest." Tony said.

"But without that, you wouldn't be here with us now." Cap said, patting the billionaire on the back. Tony smiling and nodding a bit at the Captain's words.

 **"The AK-130 has been a standard security model of Remnant for several years, and they have done a fine job. Wouldn't you agree? Wouldn't you agree?" Ironwood asked, the clapping of the gathered audience caused the drones to take a jerky bow. "But... the kingdom of Atlas is a kingdom of innovation, and 'fine'... Well, that's just not good enough, is it? Presenting... the Atlesian Knight-200!" He announced and the doors to the cases rolled up and six new, bulkier, shinier automatons stood at attention before knocking their obsolete predecessors down to the applause of the watchers.**

"Most impressive!" Thor said.

"Yeah, I wouldn't mind getting a look at what's inside them." Peter agreed.

 **"Smarter, sleeker and admittedly, a little less scary." Ironwood explained as the robots flexed and posed as a demonstration. "These models will become active later this year, but they won't be alone! Now, the Atlesian Military has always supported the idea of removing men from the dangers of the battlefield. However, there are still many situations that will undoubtedly require... a human touch." He said vaguely to hook the audience and reel them in.**

 **The last line drew Ruby's attention.** **"Ruby..?"** **Penny said nervously.**

"Penny seems to be nervous around the soldiers and robots. That could add to her criminal argument." Widow said.

"But we also know her father is likely very wealthy, so he's probably also influential. So the soldiers could be working with him." Cap countered.

 **"So, our kingdom's greatest minds, in cooperation with the Schnee Dust Company, are proud to introduce... the Atlesian Paladin!" Ironwood announced as his** **image was replaced with the hologram of a robotic white behemoth, featuring hinged piston legs, large guns for hands and a rectangular head, standing at least twice as tall as the Knights below it.**

 **"Now, we couldn't have him here for you today, but these mechanized battle suits will be seen defending the borders of our kingdom within the year!"** **Ironwood's voice explained.**

"Nice! I wouldn't mind taking one of those for a spin." Clint said.

"I gave you your own Hulkbuster once. Some people are just never satisfied." Tony said sarcastically, shaking his head.

 **"Whoa..."** **Ruby exclaimed, hunched in awe.**

 **"Ruby? Maybe we should go somewhere else."** **Penny suggested, concerned.**

 **At the side of the stage, two armored soldiers saw Penny, pointing her out and calling in backup. Penny backed away and then broke into a dead run, which snapped Ruby out of her weapon-awe-induced stupor.**

 **"Penny! Wait! Where are you going?"** **Ruby asked, turning to look back at the soldiers chasing after her friend and realizing Penny's situation, swiftly following her in an attempt to catch up down the winding alley.**

 **"Down here! She went this way!"** **One of the Atlas Soldier called, gesturing to his partner.**

"So the soldiers ARE after her. I wonder what she could've done?" Peter wondered.

"But, as the Captain said, perhaps her father holds sway over these soldiers. Young Penny may be innocent yet!" Thor said.

 **Penny and Ruby ran across the street with the soldiers following them, though a honking car nearly ran one over. He managed to brace his hands against the hood, which somehow stopped the vehicle and his partner ran along after the girls.**

 **Ruby was still trying to catch up with Penny, but a high stack of crates on a flimsy support was easily cut down by Crescent Rose, causing a wooden avalanche of boxes to block the path. Seeing Penny right ahead of her, Ruby leapt into the air and landed on the alley wall, ricocheting off to grab Penny around the middle.**

"Nice skills Ruby!" Hulk cheered.

"She's gonna use her semblance. That could be risky with a passenger. For both Penny and her. Penny might not be ready for the intense speed and it could be too much for Ruby's aura." Natasha said.

 **"This way!" Ruby said as she grimaced before the two disappear in a flash of red and rose petals.** **Ruby dashed away as fast as she could while carrying Penny, but the strain was too great and they crashed to the ground a short while later, with Ruby falling all the way into the street. She got up slowly and in her dazed state, she didn't notice the large truck coming up from behind her until the honking was too late of a warning. She stood up just as she was about to be hit, but from out of nowhere, Penny pushed Ruby out of the way and held her palms out.**

"No!" All the Avengers shouted at once.

 **In the split second where the two made contact, the ground beneath Penny cracked and crumbled into pieces and the From Dust Till Dawn truck was lifted a little ways into the air by the girl's sheer strength. She put it down and the Shopkeep stared in awe at the crumples in his hood, just like the Huntress who got saved.**

The Avengers were now all shocked at this. "Incredible... She just stopped a speeding truck with her bare hands." Cap said.

"We've seen Yang, Nora and Ren all do some intense stuff, but even that is nothing compared to this." Tony said.

"Amazing! Now there is no doubt young Penny is a hero, not a criminal! And such strength! She may even be worthy to face me!" Thor said.

"I'd take her on first!" Hulk snapped.

"Hey, we can pick fights later, right now I want to know how she did that." Clint said.

 **"Penny..?"** **Ruby asked, eyes wide, terrified and uncertain.**

 **"Are you okay?"** **Penny asked the shopkeep.**

 **"Uh-huh..."** **Shopkeep confirmed, nodding, obviously scared.**

"I don't blame you, buddy. I'd be a little shook up, too." Peter said.

"Man, it's amazing that this old man still manages to do all the work he does with so much chaos happening around him." Tony praised.

 **Penny backed away, looking at Ruby's frightened expression, then at the bystanders murmuring to each other in an attempt to understand what just happened. In her panic, she ran from the Atlas soldiers still chasing her down and bumped into Ruby, knocking the poor girl out of her stupor as her friend tried to get away again. "** **Penny! Come back!" Ruby called as she started going after Penny as the people looked at the destruction Penny caused with her bare hands and the soldiers found they lost their target.**

"Well, at least they've lost the soldiers, so they aren't in danger anymore." Cap said.

"Yeah, but now Penny's got some explaining to do." Clint said.

 **Penny came to a stop once she got out of the alleyway, looking around for where to run next. "Um... Uh..." She said unsurely.**

 **"Penny! Please! What is going on?! Why are you running? How did you do that?!"** **Ruby asked, coming up to Penny, exasperated.**

 **"I-I can't! Everything's fine!"** ** **Penny said, nervous again, before she hiccuped.** "I-I don't want to talk about it!" She tried to dismiss, ******hiccuping with each lie.****

"She's only hiccuping when she lies. That's not normal. It's some kind of trigger. At the very least, she's been pre-programmed to hiccup when she lies." Natasha said.

"That's be weird. Doesn't seem like it would help with anything." Hulk said.

(Or she's just been regular programmed.) Tony thought. This, plus her insane strength and incredible control over her weapons attached simply to wires. It was adding up to one thing...

 **"Penny, if you can just tell me what's wrong, I can help you!" Ruby pleaded.**

 **"No! No, no! You wouldn't understand..."** **Penny refused, retreating from her friend.**

 **"Let me try! You can trust me!" Ruby told her, pleading again.  
**

 **Penny finally relented, coming up to Ruby's face desperately. "You're my friend, right? You promise you're my friend?!" She asked desperately.**

"She just helped you get away from some soldiers. That should have proven she's your friend." Cap said.

"Indeed. Fewer are more trustworthy than young Ruby." Thor agreed.

 **"I promise."** **Ruby confirmed softly.**

 **Penny was silent for a second, then looked down at her hands. "Ruby... I'm not a real girl." She explained,** **showing Ruby the toll of stopping the truck that would have killed her: Parts of her palm's skin had ripped away, revealing the gray metal underneath. Penny stared sadly at Ruby's face, now completely astounded by her friend's secret.**

 **"Oh." Was all she could simply say before the screen went black.**

* * *

The Avengers were all shocked at this. "Penny's a robot?" Steve asked.

"No way! She can't be a robot, she's got her own personality and-and, she thinks and has her own opinion!" Peter said.

"Hate to say it, but that can be programmed into a smart enough AI. And we saw the metal under her skin. Hard to argue that point." Tony said.

"Then who made her. And why?" Hulk asked.

"Indeed. I see no reason to create a robot in the image of an innocent young maiden." Thor said.

"No one would see it coming. She could go places and seem harmless, whereas special soldiers or agents going to those same places would raise suspicions." Clint explained.

"If we want answers, we'll have to watch the next episode. So let's keep watching." Widow said, starting the next episode.

* * *

 **A/N: Hello, my wonderful fans! Sorry for the delay, but I'm happy to say this story is still going! So, the Avengers have found out that Penny is a robot! What will happen from here!? What will they think?! What will they do!? All those answers and more coming next time!**


	20. Episode 14: Painting the Town

"So Penny's been a robot this whole time?" Peter asked.

"That does make sense. She'd need machine-like precision in order for use her weapons the way she does. Turns out she has it." Tony said.

"So, what happens now?" Hulk asked.

"We'll have to find out." Widow said, starting the episode.

* * *

 **The opening ended to the overhead view of where "A Minor Hiccup" ended: In the deserted alleyway with a graffiti-marked dumpster as Penny revealed her secret to Ruby.**

 **"Penny, I-I don't understand..." Ruby said.**

 **"Most girls are born, but I was made. I'm the world's first synthetic person capable of generating an Aura." Penny explained and turned her head to the side sadly. "I'm not real..." She said.**

Tony frowned at this. "She's real. She has her own thoughts and opinions. She feels things." Tony said. Having created a number of robots, A.I and Vision, Tony came to feel for his creations like children. They were real to him as any other person, so he had the same feeling for Penny.

"Very thoughtful, Tony. I'm impressed." Steve complimented, surprised, but proud of the Iron Avenger's words.

"He's always had a soft spot for robots." Hawkeye said, earning him a smack upside the head from Natasha.

 **"Of course you are. You think just because you've got nuts and bolts instead of squishy guts makes you any less real than me?"** **Ruby said supportively, taking Penny's hands in her own.**

 **"I don't... um..." Penny stumbled for words, before leaning in close to Ruby's face. "You're... taking this extraordinarily well." She said.**

 **"You're not like those things we saw back there." Ruby said. "You've got a heart, and a soul; I can feel it!" She told Penny and t** **apped her chest.**

"Indeed! Young Penny is more full of life than many Asgardians!" Thor boomed.

"Yeah. Anyone could tell you Penny's her own, real person." Peter said.

"The girl's got spunk." Hulk agreed.

 **"Ooohh... oh Ruby!" Penny said happily, grabbing Ruby into a hug and shaking her back and forth. "You're the best friend anyone could have!" She told the smaller girl she was nearly crushing.**

 **"I can see why your father would want to protect such a delicate flower!"** **Ruby groaned, slightly muffled by Penny's death hug.**

 **"Oh, he's very sweet! My father's the one that built me! I'm sure you would love him!"** **Penny explained as she released Ruby, fully back to her happy self.**

 **"Wow." Ruby said, giggling. "He built you all by himself?" She asked.**

 **"Well, almost! He had some help from Mr. Ironwood." Penny informed her.  
**

"The general?!" The Avengers all said at once.

"That would explain why the soldiers are after her." Widow said.

"Also why she's a super powerful battle robot." Tony added.

"He must've helped to build Penny in order to make her a weapon." Cap realized.

 **"The General?! Wait... Is that why those soldiers were after you?" Ruby asked.**

 **"They like to protect me, too!" Penny explained happily.  
**

 **"They don't think you can protect yourself?"** **Ruby scoffed.**

 **"They're not sure if I'm ready yet... One day, it will be my job to save the world, but I still have a lot left to learn. That's why my father let me come to the Vytal Festival. I want to see what it's like in the rest of the world, and test myself in the Tournament." Penny explained once more.**

 **"Penny, what are you talking about? Save the world from what? We're in a time of peace!" Ruby told her.**

 **"That's not what Mr. Ironwood said..."** **Penny said, confused.**

"So, Penny's supposed to be a weapon to save the world. But from what?" Peter asked.

"If I had to guess, I'd say it's whatever the threat Qrow told Ozpin and the general about." Widow said.

"Who or whatever it is must be a peace of work to make a robot like Penny to fight them." Clint said.

"Android." Hulk corrected.

"Whatever." The archer dismissed.

 **"Check down here!" One of the soldiers ordered off-screen.**

 **Penny grabbed Ruby by the shoulders. "You have to hide!" She told her, before she lifted Ruby above her head effortlessly.**

 **Ruby struggled and screamed as she was carried toward the dumpster. "Penny, wait! What are you doing? You don't have to go with them! I can help you!" She offered.**

"No, don't put her in there! Dumpsters stink as hiding spots!" Peter said, half-jokingly as everyone else groaned.

"Even I found no humor in that remark." Thor said.

"Oh, come on! That was a good one!" Peter complained.

"No, it wasn't." The others said, to which he pouted.

 **Penny threw Ruby in the trash and lifted the lid so she could still talk. "It's okay, Ruby. They're not bad people; I just don't want to get you in trouble. Just promise me you won't tell anyone else my secret. Okay?" She asked, gravely staring at Ruby.**

 **"I promise." Ruby assured her.**

 **Ruby lowered her head into the garbage as the lid was put down, but she lifted it a little to peek at the scene outside.**

"If anyone is trustworthy enough to tell her secret to, it's Ruby." Widow said.

"She's a good kid. She'll keep the secret." Hulk said.

 **"There she is!" One of the officers said as they approached.**

 **"Sal-u-tations, officers!" Penny greeted them.  
**

 **"Why were you running? And what happened to the other girl?" The first soldier asked.**

 **"What girl? I've been by myself all day!" Penny lied, hiccuping loudly, then smiled.**

"At least she's polite." Cap said.

"Yeah, but you think the soldiers would know about that little hiccup glitch." Peter said.

 **"You shouldn't cause such a scene." The first soldier told her.**

 **"Are you okay?" The second soldier asked.  
**

 **"Just a scratch."** **Penny assured them, showing off her "injured" palms.**

"I'd say that's a bit more than a scratch. Besides, synthetic skin is a bit on the costly side." Tony said.

"Why do you know that?" Clint asked.

"I've been tinkering with some stuff for Vision to help him fit in easier." Tony explained.

 **"Penny, your father isn't going to be happy about this." The first soldier told her.**

 **"Please, just come with us." The second soldier instructed.**

 **"Yes, sir!" Penny complied.  
**

 **Penny and the soldiers were heard walking away as Ruby looked on in sadness... until a rat screeched from below her feet, causing the young Huntress to fall and close the lid on herself.**

"Ugh! Rats! I hate those thing!" Hulk snapped.

"Indeed! For such tiny beasts they can be fearsome and vicious!" Thor agreed.

* * *

 **In the ruined parts of Vale, the sound of an engine got closer and closer until Bumblebee pulled into the street and stopped just short of the camera, showing Yang behind the handlebars in her matching helmet.**

 **Yang took off the helmet. "Come on, my friend's right in here!" She** **told someone off-screen as she gestured with her thumb to the music playing nearby.**

"Hey, is this looking familiar to anyone?" Clint asked.

"She's going back to Junior's bar." Natasha said.

"I ALMOST feel bad for them. All most." Peter said.

 **Yang got off the bike to reveal Neptune sitting right behind her, hair and goggles messed up with a petrified expression of terror on his face.**

 **"Cool..."** ** **He said, sounding dizzy, before he s** hook his head, somehow perfectly fixing his appearance and getting off the cycle, looking around worriedly. "And where exactly is... here?" He asked.**

 **The music from Junior's Club got louder once inside to show Junior behind the bar adjusting his cuffs as his Henchmen stock the bottles, carry boxes and otherwise stand around on the dance floor, until...**

 **"Hurry, close the door - she's coming!" A henchman shouted,** ** **running inside, where he** and another Henchman proceeded to roll the doors shut and keep them closed with their bodies. **

"Yeah, that's not gonna be enough." Tony said.

"Indeed! A mere door and two henchmen are no match for Yang!" Thor boomed.

"Proud of your daughter there, Blondie?" Hulk taunted.

"Huuulk!" Thor snapped.

 **"What are you two idiots doing?!"** **Junior demanded, walking out from the bar.**

 **The Henchmen shouted incoherently until an explosion knocked them to the ground and forced the doors open, allowing a familiar face to walk in through the smoke as "I Burn" started playing.**

 **"Guess who's back!"** **Yang announced as she continued to smile and pose as eight guns were pointed in her face with an equal number of angry Henchmen behind them. Though this didn't faze her, she stopped and glared at the recording studio where the track was messing up until the frightened bear-headed DJ took the needle off the record and retreated back under the table.**

"Thank you. That was also annoying me." Cap said.

"Ruining a great song, the worst thing a DJ can do." Clint said.

 **"Yeah, so could you define 'friend' for me?"** **Neptune asked appearing behind Yang as the Henchmen continued hoisting their guns.**

 **"Stop, stop! Nobody shoot." Junior ordered from off-screen, before he cut his way through the crowd of goons, straightening his tie. "Blondie, you're here! ...Why?" He asked.**

 **"You still owe me a drink." Yang told him as she grabbed him by the arm and dragged him to the bar through the hired guns.**

 **"Whoa-ho-ho-ho, what a woman..." Neptune said, lovestruck. He then broke from his lovestruck staring to see the twins Melanie and Miltia Malachite standing beside him. "'Sup?" He asked.**

 **"Whatever."** ** **They harrumphed together, before** walking away, noses in the air.**

"Yeah, ladies usually don't like it when you look all lovestruck at one girl, then try talking to them." Tony said.

"Especially if that girl beat them up before." Peter agreed.

* * *

 **Meanwhile, Blake's fingers traced three scratch marks on a wall before peeking around its corner and seeing a pair of horned Faunus as they were ushered into a building by a bearded man. She turned to Sun next to her. "** **This is it." She confirmed.**

 **"You sure?" He asked as Blake glared at him and started moving towards the entrance while unfastening her bow. "Y'know, I'm just gonna take your word for it." He said.**

"Hey, Nat, look! It's just like us!" Hawkeye said.

"Yeah, when you try to annoy me by asking if we're in the right place, when you already know we are." Widow groaned.

 **The two walked inside the building to a hallway filled with cases, seeing another man announcing "New recruits, keep to the right!" at the young pair as they followed.**

 **"I don't get it." Sun said as he held out the half-mask in his hand. "If you believe what you're doing is right, why hide who you are?" He asked.**

 **"The masks are a symbol. Humanity wanted to make monsters out of us, so we chose to don the faces of monsters." Blake explained.**

Hulk frowned at this. "Then you're just letting them make you into the monsters they say you are and you're justifying their fear." He said.

"They should stand up and be better than the people calling them monsters, instead they're making themselves as bad as the people think. That will only make things wore, it won't better their lives in any way." Cap said.

 **"Grimm masks... That's kind of dark." Sun said.  
**

 **"So was the guy who started it." Blake told him as she put her mask on and walked on.**

"I suspect Adam to be the originator of this barbaric tradition." Thor said.

"Hey's creepy and crazy enough to wear monster masks." Hulk agreed.

 **"Always sunshine and rainbows with you..." Sun grumbled as he followed her lead.**

 **The new recruits to the White Fang were moving in a line to the side of the stage, a mere few dozen compared to the hundreds of white-vested, black-hooded soldiers to their left and up above in the balconies. Blake and Sun looked around themselves when they stopped and a fully-masked man with tattoos standing started speaking before the large sheet emblazoned with the bloody wolf and claw marks.**

 **"Thank you all for coming. For those of you who are joining us for the first time tonight, allow me to introduce a very special comrade of ours! I can assure you, he is the key to obtaining what we have fought for for so long!" The White Fang Lieutenant announced.  
**

 **The dark pants and brown shoes stepped forward before the orange tip of the Melodic Cudgel tapped on the stage. The camera panned up to reveal none other than Roman, smiling confidently even as the crowd started protesting.**

"Whoa! I mean, we knew he was working with the White Fang, but I wasn't expecting him to show up in front of a huge group of them that hate and are willing to attack and kill humans." Peter said.

"It's like you said, he's already working with the main group. They won't let a bunch of new recruits hurt him, especially if he still has something to offer." Natasha explained.

 **"Thank you, thank you!"** ** **Roman said, waving mockingly.** As he spoke, a small girl walked out from behind the sheet. "Please, hold your applause!" He told them.  
**

 **"What's a human doing here?!"** **A Faunus girl with antlers demanded, pointing at Roman from her place right in front of Blake and Sun.**

 **"I'm glad you asked, 'Deerie'! Now, I'll be the first to admit, humans... are the worst." Roman said, saluting as an example. "Case in point. So, I understand why you would like to see us all locked away, or, better yet, killed!" He told the crowd.  
**

"Careful what you wish for Torchwick. If anyone will take you up on that, it's probably these guys." Hawkeye said.

"He has to be going somewhere with this. He's not telling them anything they don't already believe." Tony said.

 **"So, is he going somewhere with this?"** **Sun asked, leaning over to Blake.**

 **"But, before the claws come out, I'd like to mention the fact that you and I all have a common enemy: the ones in control, the people pulling the strings, the dirty, rotten humans that run our kingdoms!" Roman told them and the crowd changed their tune and started agreeing with him. "Government, military, even the schools: they're all to blame for your lot in life!" He declared, letting the crowd cheer as the two heroes share da look. "And they're all pests that need to be dealt with! Fortunately, I'm the best exterminator around... No offense to any rodents in the room." He said.**

"Of course, blaming the people in charge and get them to rally against what they believe is a greater enemy." Cap said.

"And if they did take out the people in charge, everyone else would panic and the White Fang could easily take control." Peter said.

 **With a snap of the fingers, the curtain fell and the whole mass of Faunus applauded at the sight of the Atlesian Paladin-290 behind it, the mark of the White Fang painted on its shoulder.**

 **"Whoa, that's a big robot..." Sun said.  
**

 **"How did he get that?" Blake asked.**

"Impossible! The general said they were incomplete!" Thor said.

"He said they couldn't have the real model there for them that day. That's probably a prototype, but that doesn't mean it's not dangerous." Tony said.

 **"As some of you may have heard, this right here..." Roman started, tapping the giant mech "...is Atlas' newest defense against all the scary things in the world. And thanks to my 'employer', we've managed to snag a few before they, uh, 'hit the shelves'. Now, many of your brothers have already moved down to our new operation in the southeast. If you'd rather stay within the city, that's fine... But if you're truly ready to fight for what you believe in, this is the arsenal I can provide you. Any questions?" He asked, the White Fang's roaring applause told him the answer.**

 **"We should get out of here."** **Blake told Sun.**

 **"Will all new recruits, please come forward!"** **The White Fang Lieutenant ordered.**

 **"Welp!"** **Sun said as the line surged forward with the two having to follow.**

"Uh-oh." Hulk said.

"So much for that, then." Hawkeye said.

"They didn't have an exit strategy for a situation like this. Rookie mistake." Natasha criticized.

* * *

 **Back at the Club, Junior put down his glass as he sat behind the bar separating him from his interrogator.**

 **"I don't know!" Junior explained.**

 **"How can you not know?" Yang demanded.**

 **"I haven't talked to him! I haven't even seen him since the night you first came in here." He explained as he leaned over to point in Yang's face. "He paid up front, I lent him my men, and none of them ever. Came. Back." He said ominously.**

"Well, Ruby beat the living daylights out of them, so they're probably in jail." Tony said.

"Or it's possible Cinder or Roman somehow had them killed to tie up loose ends." Cap offered.

 **"So where did they go?"** **Neptune raised his own question, rushing to Yang's side.**

The Avengers all facepalmed at this question.

 **A long pause followed this question. "What kind of stupid question is that? They never came back!" Junior snapped. "Who is this guy?" He asked Yang**

 **Yang pushed Neptune out of the way with one hand. "Don't worry about him; worry about me!" She snapped as Neptune straightened and stood to attention. "If I don't find out what I want!" She snapped.**

 **"I already told you everything! Torchwick hired my boys, and I guess he wasn't happy with them, which is something I can relate to!" Junior explained, shouting the last part at his own men, who grumbled and walked away in response.**

"Good help that's willing to break the law for you is so hard to find these days." Hawkeye quipped.

"Constantly yelling at them and insulting them probably doesn't help." Widow agreed.

 **"Come on, Neptune." Yang said as she turned from the bar and walked away.**

 **"We get everything we need?"** **Neptune asked, following with his hands in his pockets.**

 **"Well, we got everything we can. Hopefully the rest of the team is having better luck." Yang said.**

"Define luck." Peter said, knowing Sun and Blake had found something, but were now in a spot of trouble.

* * *

 **The White Fang was still cheering loudly as the recruits were marched to the stage, with Blake and Sun having no choice but to follow along.**

 **"What are we going to do?!"** **Sun whispered to Blake.**

 **"I'm thinking..." Blake told him.**

 **Sun watched Roman lean on the robot smoking his cigar and laughing with the girl beside him before he zeroed in on the two, frowning. "He sees us..." He warned Blake as he tried to smile and wave.**

"That's not good." Hulk said.

"No. Torchwick only needs to point them out and tell everyone else to capture them. He knows they heard his plan, so now he has to ensure they don't escape." Widow explained.

 **Blake then noticed the junction box on the wall. "He can't see in the dark." She countered.** **With that, Blake unsheathed Gambol Shroud, transformed it into a pistol and shot at the box, making the lights go out for the whole building and turning the screen dark.**

"Oh, yeah. They got night vision. Kind of forgot about that." Hawkeye said.

"Then it's a great way to escape Torchwick and get away from the other Faunus while they're confused." Cap analyzed.

 **"Don't let them get away!" Roman ordered.**

 **"Sun! The window!" Blake told her partner.  
**

 **"Stop them!" Roman ordered once again.**

"It's a little late for that." Peter said.

"That's the nice thing about big crowds, it's easy to get lost in 'em. The White Fang will have a harder time finding two people than Sun and Blake will of escaping." Hawkeye explained.

 **Before the two student Huntsmen crashed through the window and started running as fast as they can, the mechanized sound of running power signaled the Altesian Paladin's activation and it crashed through the wall of the building in pursuit of the runaways, who leapt off of a car and managed to get on the roofs. The Paladin followed beside them on the street as Blake and Sun ran, jumped and flipped from rooftop to rooftop.**

"Aha! So we get to see this machine's capabilities!" Thor boomed.

"I could turn it to scrap, easy." Hulk boasted.

"Huh. I don't know if Torchwick is determined or just dumb, chasing after two people in stolen military property." Tony said.

 **"So you wouldn't happen to have... oh, I don't know... some form of backup?!"** **Sun cried amidst twirled in the air.**

 **"On it!" Blake confirmed as she grabbed her Scroll and put it to her ear as she continued to jump.**

* * *

 **Weiss was seen leaving the Cross Continental Transmit tower's elevator when she grabbed her own Scroll and listened to Blake's message.**

 _ **"Everyone! If you can hear me, we need back-"**_ **Blake reported over the Scroll-call.**

 ** _"HEEEELLLLP!"_** **Sun screamed in the background** ** **of the Scroll-call.** **

The Avengers couldn't help but laugh at this.

 **Weiss rolled her eyes and started running out the door, a little smile on her face as she did so.**

* * *

 **Ruby was still beside the dumpster, which was boarded up, possibly to keep the rat imprisoned, staring at her Scroll.**

"Well, that's one way to deal with a rat, I guess." Peter said.

 **"Big robot! And it's big! Really big!"** **Sun poorly explained over the Scroll-call.**

 **"Oh, I am not missing this!"** ** **Ruby said excitedly** as she ran off to join the fight. **

* * *

**Yang was back on the motorcycle in her helmet and sunglasses with Neptune looking at the Scroll in her hand over her shoulder.**

 _ **"That Torchwick guy is in it! But not, like, it didn't eat him; he's, like, controlling it or something!"**_ **Sun explained over the Scroll-call.**

 **"Where are you guys?" Yang asked.**

 **Right on cue, behind them, Blake and Sun could be seen running through the street with the Paladin hot on their heels before they all disappeared from view.**

 **"HURRYYYY!"** **Sun screamed, both in person and on the Scroll.**

The Avengers laughed again at the hilarious coincidence. "Why can't all our chases be that convenient?" Hulk asked.

"That could save us HOURS of searching for each other in the long run." Clint agreed.

 **"I think that was them." Neptune said.**

 **"Yeah, I got it." Yang dismissed him. Putting the Scroll away, she quickly circled her ride around - much to Neptune's alarm - and drove off to follow them.**

* * *

 **Blake and Sun somehow made it to the highways, jumping down into the busy street and continuing their escape by hopping on cars while the Paladin followed them by pushing vehicles out of the way. Sun paused to look at their pursuer's path of destruction and offered a quick "Whoa!" before leaping onto more cars, much to the anger of Roman inside the robot, his face surrounded by blue holographic screens.**

"Hey, they ripped off my HUD system!" Tony complained.

"Tony, just because it's similar, doesn't mean it's the same. Besides, this is from a different world, remember?" Cap reminded him.

 **Yang and Neptune were able to follow the mech suit on their ride, coming up next to it as it ran. "** **We've gotta slow it down!" Yang told her blue-haired passenger.  
**

 **"Got it!"** **Neptune acknowledged as he reached for his gun, but Roman noticed the pair on his sensors and crashed into a multitude of cars with the Paladin's strong bulk, sending them flying towards his chasers.**

The Avengers all glared at this. "Coward! Putting innocents in harm's way for your own gain!" Thor snapped.

"Oh, I can't wait for RWBY to group up and take him down." Peter said.

 **"Hold on!" Yang ordered.**

 **"Wuh-oh..." Neptune said worriedly.**

 **Yang swerved, leaning her bike to the side in avoidance of flying debris while Neptune flailed in a panic. Back on two wheels again, Neptune unholstered his weapon, aimed as sparks started flying and fired several bolts of blue electricity at the Paladin, causing Roman to grimace from the force of the attacks.**

 **Switching strategies, Neptune flipped the gun and it grew a shaft and an energy blade at the end, then jumped from Yang's bike as the spear's head split in three and drove it into the top of the Paladin. Sun and Blake paused in their car-hopping to look back.**

"Yang's pretty good on that bike." Widow said, remembering several times she's also had to dodge intense traffic and enemy fire on her bike. Except the traffic she dodged wasn't airborne.

"I'm liking Neptune's weapon, too. It shoots electricity and turns into a trident. Nice." Tony said.

"Just like the god Neptune or Poseidon. Nice touch." Clint said.

 **"Neptune, hang on!" Sun told his friend.**

 **Neptune was trying his best, but the mech kept bucking and threatened to make him fall. Closing his eyes, Sun smashed his palms together and from the golden Aura around him, his Semblance created two glowing outlines that copied their creator, leaping off and going back over the tops of vehicles to collide into the Paladin's front. They exploded into blinding light upon contact to let Sun leap forward with Ruyi Bang and Jingu Bang held high, but Roman finally turned enough to send Neptune flying off and knocking into his leader, sending both of them off the highway.**

"Huh. Sun's semblance is pretty similar to Blake's." Cap noted.

"Well, they're out." Hulk said.

But now we have the honor of seeing Team RWBY fight as a team once more!" Thor boomed.

 **As Blake looked on from her spot, she heard a voice from her Scroll.** _ **"Blake! I'm in position!"**_ **Weiss informed her teammate over the Scroll-call.**

 **The heiress was seen twirling over a highway and landing in the middle of the road, holding Myrtenaster at the approaching Roman. He smiled as his robot charged the girl, but Weiss spun and plunged her blade into the ground, summoning a circle of ice across the pavement that caused the Paladin to slip and crash, actually flying over the young Huntress and falling off the ramp, landing further down before Ruby, already having her Crescent Rose out in scythe form.**

The Avengers quietly applauded Weiss' action that stopped the machine. "Nice move." Widow said.

"And it looks like the road is clear now, so no other bystanders will get hurt." Peter noted.

 **The Paladin stood back up and the rest of Team RWBY fell beside their leader to take up positions. Roman chuckled, moving the robot slowly towards the girls.**

 **"Freezer Burn!" Ruby ordered.**

 **Ruby and Blake jumped back out of the way as Weiss performed her same ice-circle trick, but backed out of Yang's way when she jumped into the air and hit the epicenter with her Ember Celica, creating a wave of mist that surrounded Roman. Immediately, the Paladin activated its laser sensors to make up for the lost sight, but it barely saw the afterimage of Blake and narrowly missed the dashing Yang. A gun managed to fire at the area between Blake and Yang, but out from the blast came Ruby, who slashed the metal with her blade, causing it to falter.**

"Nice. They're using mist to hide themselves." Cap said.

"And they're faster than the sensors can keep track of, not to mention the projectiles after the lasers." Tony added.

 **"Checkmate!" Ruby announced again.**

 **Blake and Weiss went in this time, each girl going for the feet until Weiss jumped up and stabbed a sensor before leaping off of a white glyph. Roman lifted the Paladin's foot to crush Blake, but Weiss summoned another glyph under her teammate to launch her backwards before the crushing blow could land. Roman growled and fired off the missiles, but Weiss and Blake flipped backwards as the explosions merely hit where they were.**

 **Finally, Weiss jumped up too high and Roman fired a double energy blast at her. Myrtenaster absorbed the damage, but Weiss was thrown back, so she casted a beam of light from her weapon to the ground under Blake, forming a yellow clockwork circle that was absorbed into the Faunus girl and let her slice through each launched missile with ease in a flurry of super-fast slashes.**

"Masterful teamwork! And Weiss has done an excellent job defending Blake!" Thor praised.

"She even helped Blake with those missiles instead of landing safely." Widow admired.

"But did you guys see that? She made Blake speed up. Maybe we should just get Weiss the next time we have to deal with the Time Stone." Clint suggested.

"I wouldn't go that far. It's definitely impressive, but we only know she can speed things up, not slow them down or make them completely stop. And I SERIOUSLY doubt she can rewind time." Cap said.

 **"Ladybug!"** **Ruby instructed, running into the fray.**

 **Ruby shot herself forward and cut at the robot's legs, then turned as Blake aimed herself at the giant's feet as well. They both dashed forward and attacked at the same time, circling each other around the Paladin with each strike until they both launched themselves into the air and came down together on the shoulder, cutting off the left arm entirely.**

"Yeah!" Hulk cheered.

"Good. They're taking out its weapons and limiting its defensive options. Beacon's definitely teaching these kids right." Tony said.

"And Ruby's amazing for leading them like this." Peter said.

"Yeah. Your girlfriend's doing a great job, kid." Tony said.

"Oh, come on!" Peter whined.

 **Yang didn't waste a second, jumping onto the Paladin's back and punching the top with fiery shotgun blasts. Roman was knocked around in the cabin, but seeing as he couldn't reach her with his remaining mechanical arm, he ran backwards through two columns and left her embedded in a third before backing away and turning towards her. Just as she was falling down, the remaining arm extended a closed fist and when it punched her, she flew through the column and didn't get up.**

"No!" The Avengers all shouted together.

 **"Yang!" Blake cried worriedly.**

 **"Don't worry! With each hit she gets stronger, and she uses that energy to fight back! That's what makes her special." Ruby reassured her.**

"So, she gets stronger the more she gets hurt. That's interesting, but it's unfortunate she has to take damage in order to get stronger." Widow said.

"Suddenly, she's starting to sound more like Hulk's daughter." Clint said.

"You don't wanna start this, bird boy." Hulk growled.

"I agree." Hawkeye said nervously.

 **Yang slowly got back on her feet, hair burning a brilliant white as she clenched her fists. Sensing victory, Roman threw a punch, but Yang caught it in her own hand, despite the ground cracking beneath her and, eyes red with rage, smashed her knuckles into the second arm, obliterating it under her force.**

"YEAH!" The Avengers all cheered.

"Well, if there was ever any doubt before, Yang's definitely stronger than most of this team." Tony said.

"That's amazing, though. She basically shattered that thing's entire arm! That's gotta take at least a dozen tons, probably way more." Peter said.

 **Getting desperate with his armless robot, Roman immediately kicked Yang to the side, but as she passed her sister and teammates...**

 **"Bumblebee!" Ruby called out.**

 **Blake threw her Gambol Shroud out for Yang to catch while flying and the Faunus used the momentum to swing the glowing girl around for a final hit to the robot. Roman, however, stepped out of the way just in time to avoid complete destruction.**

 **"We have to slow it down!" Ruby said.**

 **"And how do you propose we do that?" Weiss asked.**

 **"Ice Flower!" Ruby announced.**

 **Twirling their weapons so they both pointed at Roman, Weiss created a series of glyphs in front of the scythe's sniper barrel and a single shot through the circles created a dazzling spiral of energy that created large icicles upon impact with the Paladin. Ruby continued to shoot as Weiss froze the fire and as the ice completely enveloped the robot's body, Blake swung her partner around in a circle one more time, but with Roman unable to move, the Paladin was hit by the speed and power of Yang's fists, flying into the air before crashing down in a hundred pieces and a defeated criminal.**

The Avengers cheered once again at the criminal's defeat.

"Amazing. Ruby may be as good of a leader as either one of us." Cap said to Tony.

"Yeah. All those team attacks worked like a charm and that Ice Flower was the perfect thing to stop the Paladin." Tony agreed.

"Yep. You're girlfriend's pretty awesome, Spidey." Hulk said.

"Oh, come on, Hulk!" Peter groaned, before smirking under his mask. "Well, your daughter was the one who ended the fight, so good for her." He countered.

"Watch it." Hulk warned.

 **Roman got up, slightly dazed but unharmed, as he inspected the damage while brushing himself off. "Just got this thing cleaned..." He complained.**

 **He looked up just in time to see Yang, still burning with her absorbed power, fire a single shot at the defenseless thief, but he was saved at the last instant when the two-toned girl seen before dropped in front of him and merely opened her pink umbrella, deflecting the blast entirely. The new arrival hung the weapon over her shoulder as Roman looked at his adversaries.**

"That girl was with him at the White Fang rally." Widow said.

"Well, she's clearly working with him." Clint said.

"Stopping a shot from Yang's gauntlet with just her umbrella! This girl may be small, but she must be truly formidable." Thor said cautiously.

 **"Ladies, Ice Queen..." Roman addressed the victors.**

 **"Hey!" Weiss snapped.  
**

 **"Always a pleasure! Neo, if you would..." Roman requested.**

 **The pink-and-brown girl curtsied her enemies with a bow, but Yang would have none of it, charging forth with fists raised to strike the outlaws... only to break their image as if made out of a mirror and turned just in time to see them escape in a Bullhead. The rest of team RWBY ran up to Yang's side, now cooled down with the end of the fight.**

The Avengers were shocked at this. "They shattered like glass, but then they weren't even there." Cap said.

"She must have some kind of illusion Semblance. But that still doesn't explain how the got from their to the Bullhead" Widow said.

"They were so focused on Yang attacking them, they probably only saw the illusions, not Tochwick and this 'Neo' girl sneaking away." Tony hypothesized.

 **"So I guess he got a new henchman..." Yang grumbled.**

 **"Yeah, I guess she really made our plans... fall apart!" Weiss joked.**

Clint and Spider-Man chuckled at this while the rest of the Avengers groaned. "Yang's puns are enough, we don't need more people doing it." Widow said.

"Oh, come on, Nat! That was good." Clint said.

"It really was not." Thor said, shaking his head.

 **While Weiss smiled, Ruby giggled and Blake started walking away. "No. Just... no." Yang** **simply stated.**

 **"What- But, you do it!"** **Weiss countered, getting mad.**

 **"There's a time and a place for jokes." Yang explained.**

"That's also a good point. There's no reason to joke around when the villains get away." Steve said.

"Yeah. Even I have a hard time joking then." Spider-Man admitted.

 **"Was this not it?" Weiss asked.**

 **"No, it just wasn't very good." Yang said, following Blake.**

 **"Well, at least I'm trying!"** **Weiss huffed, walking with her teammates.**

 **"Wait... Where are Sun and Neptune?" Ruby asked.**

"Oh yeah. We kind of forgot about them." Hawkeye said.

"They'll be fine." Hulk said dismissively.

* * *

 **Sun and Neptune were sitting in the middle stools of the A Simple Wok Noodle House' eating their plates of noodles with the Shopkeep behind the counter and their weapons leaning on the other two stools.**

The Avengers all facepalmed at this. "Wow, what great team players these guys are." Tony said sarcastically.

"They abandoned their friends and teammates in a critical situation. They can't be trusted for missions like these anymore." Cap said.

 **"They're probably fine, right?" Neptune asked.**

 **"Probably." Sun confirmed.**

"Maybe you should, I don't know, go check and stop sitting around eating?!" Peter snapped.

"It's too late now. Hopefully, Ruby and the others will know to leave them out of it next time." Widow said.

 **His question answered, Neptune turned back to his noodles and the two ate in silence until the screen cut to black.**

* * *

"An excellent episode! Team RWBY proved they were true warriors this day!" Thor said.

"And better yet, they found out where the White Fang is hiding and where they're hiding out." Hawkeye said.

"Now all they've got to do is find a way to get out there." Widow said.

"They'll think of something. They always do." Peter said.

"Only one way to find out." Tony said, starting the next episode.

* * *

 **A/N: Another chapter done! I hope you all enjoyed it very much. Please let me know your thoughts in the reviews.**

 **And as a reminder: sadly, I find myself unable to continue The Avengers Watch My Hero Academia. However, rather than simply deleting the story, I have put it up for adoption. Someone had asked to adopt the story, but then I never heard back from them, so I'm still waiting for someone to take it off my hands. Simply PM me and I will send you the first 5 chapters, plus the Yang vs. Bakugo fight before taking the story down so you may upload it yourself. I look forward to hearing from someone willing to continue the story!**


	21. Episode 15: Extracurricular

"Well, congrats, Thor. Looks like now you've got a daughter and a niece." Tony said.

"Yang is not my daughter, Stark! And what do you mean I have a niece?" Thor said.

"That pink girl from the last episode, Neo. She does illusions and she seemed kind of full of herself. Who's that remind you of?" Hawkeye asked.

Thor sighed at this. "Loki..." He answered. "I assure you all, Loki has no such child." He assured them.

"Great, we're all relieved. Now let's get into this next episode." Widow said, starting the episode.

* * *

 **The scene opened to Pyrrha gearing up in a locker room. As she walked out of the locker room, we cut to her sparring with Cardin Winchester and back again. Eventually, the fight scene included the other members of Team CRDL.**

"Whoa! She's taking on a whole team by herself?! We knew Pyrrha was awesome, but man! She's even more awesome than we thought." Peter said.

"Well, she's a four time champion of that Mistral regional tournament and team CRDL definitely isn't the best team." Cap said.

"In other words, they put the best fighter their against four guys who suck." Hawkeye said.

 **While she was still exiting toward the arena, the scene cut to her spar with Team CRDL.  
**

 **Eventually, she launched her spear at Dove Bronzewing and then knocked Sky Lark to the ground. Cardin unleashed a short column of fire from the red Dust crystal in his mace before he and Sky attempted to double-team Pyrrha.**

 **Pyrrha threw her shield, which hit Cardin in the face and bounced back to hit Sky as well. She then flipped backward through the air to land on Sky, incapacitating him. Dove and Russel Thrush rushed her together, but she was able to drive them back as Cardin leapt in to smash at her with his mace.**

"Even if they are losers, fighting off two people at once is tough, yet she's still handling herself like a champ." Widow said.

"Yep. The girl's got talent. Almost wish she could be an Avenger." Tony said.

"Yeah!" Hulk agreed.

"Agreed!" Thor cheered.

 **Pyrrha opened fire with the rifle-form of Miló, but Russel defended Cardin, deflecting every shot with his daggers. He and Dove charged at Pyrrha, with Russel leaping into the air and performing a triple somersault. However, the attack was easily deflected. Russel and Dove proceeded to strike at Pyrrha together, demonstrating precision through their ability to avoid hitting one another during the attack. Cardin attempted to capitalize on the distraction, but was unable to keep up with Pyrrha. Russel ducked in under Cardin for a surprise attack, but also proved himself unable to wear her down.**

 **Dove moved in after Russel was knocked to the ground. After a couple of deflected swipes, he fired on her with his sword, but she was able to bull right through using her shield. Although he was able to avoid her attack, Dove found himself knocked out of the fight by an errant swing from Cardin, who moved in for one final assault. Pyrrha knocked Cardin into the air and then leapt to slam him into the ground.**

"YEAH!" The Avengers all cheered.

"That was awesome! They couldn't even get a single hit!" Peter said.

"Right. She definitely proved why she's a champion. I'm with you, Tony. She'd definitely make a great Avenger." Cap said.

"Heck, she'd probably even give us a run for our money." Clint said.

"I know right off the bat, I'm not fighting her." Tony said, not wanting to imagine her throwing him around in his armor with her semblance.

"I wouldn't mind learning some of those moves." Widow said.

"Indeed. I've fought with shield and spear before, but my skill is nothing next to hers." Thor said.

"And she's Kamala's age. Someone else she could talk to." Hulk said, thinking of their honorary teammate, Ms. Marvel.

 **Glynda approached from behind Cardin, who clutched his ribs. "** **And that's the match." Glynda declared.**

 **"Lucky shot."** **Cardin snapped, before he collapsed.**

"Suuure." All the Avengers said at once, clearly not buying it.

"You're lucky she didn't plant you in the ground." Peter said.

 **"Well done, Miss Nikos. You should have no problem qualifying for the tournament." Glynda praised the Spartan girl.  
**

 **"Thank you, professor." Pyrrha said graciously.**

 **Glynda began tapping her Scroll. "Alright, now I know that's a tough act to follow, but we have time for one more sparring match." She announced and looked around at the observing students. "Any volunteers? Ms. Belladonna?" She asked, to which Blake slammed her book shut and stared wide-eyed at Glynda. "You've been rather docile for the past few classes. Why don't you -" She started to ask the faunus girl,** **before** **Mercury raises his hand.**

 **"I'll do it." The silver-haired boy offered.  
**

"Mercury." Cap growled.

"Why would that cur wish to participate in these sparring sessions?" Thor asked accusingly.

"I bet he's trying to take out a possible threat in the future of Cinder's mission." Hawkeye guessed.

"Or, he just likes hurting people. Either one works.

 **"Mercury, is it? Very well, let's find you an opponent." Glynda said.**

 **"Actually, I wanna fight... her."** **Mercury said, pointing to Pyrrha.**

 **"Me?" Pyrrha asked.**

"What?! Is he crazy?! He just saw her beat up four guys at once!" Spider-Man said.

"By fighting someone, you can observe their moves better than simply watching them. You can get a better understanding. Or, if Mercury's as good as we're led to believe, he may be able to push Pyrrha to use techniques she'd want to keep hidden. Or just find if she has any weaknesses." Widow explained.

"So he can figure out how to beat her in a REAL fight." Hulk finished.

 **"I'm afraid Miss Nikos has just finished the match. I recommend you choose another partner." Glynda denied.**

 **"No, it's fine! I'd be happy to oblige." Pyrrha accepted.**

"Good show, young Pyrrha! Show that cur the error of his ways!" Thor cheered.

"I wish we could all be as confident as you, Thor. But I don't like where this is going." Cap said.

* * *

 **Mercury strutted into the arena, visibly sizing up Pyrrha. Their spar began when he made the first attack and was knocked down. Recovering quickly, he deflected an attack and began trading blows with Pyrrha until she knocked him back with her shield.**

 **Ruby turned toward Emerald, who was sitting behind her. "** **Hey, your friend's doing pretty good." Ruby told her, to which** **Emerald gave a fake smile and then rolled her eyes as Ruby turned her back.**

"Wow, okay, rude." Tony said.

"She's not showing any interest in the match. This only confirms that Mercury isn't taking this seriously and he's probably looking for weaknesses or flaws in her or her style." Widow noted.

 **Mercury unleashed a series of powerful strikes. Pyrrha allowed his kick to slam against her forearm before Mercury managed to disarm her, a kick impaling her blade into the ground. Pyrrha used her Semblance to redirect the direction of Mercury's next kick. As she charged him with her shield, he shot off of it and turned his back to her. Pyrrha tried to rush him again.**

 **"I forfeit."** **Mercury announced, nonchalantly.**

"And there it is." Clint said.

"He's got all the information he needs. Or at least what he thinks he needs. Now there's no reason to continue." Cap said.

"Coward." Thor snapped.

 **Pyrrha almost stumbled as she stopped beside him. "** **You... don't even want to try?" She asked.**

 **Mercury shrugged. "What's the point? You're a world-renowned fighter. We're obviously leagues apart." He said.**

 **"In that case... Pyrrha Nikos is the victor of the match... again."** **Glynda declared off-screen.**

 **Emerald smirked. Mercury sneered smugly. Pyrrha had a annoyed and disappointed look on her face and placed her left hand on her hip. The Aura displays for Pyrrha and Mercury were shown as Mercury's was changed from green to red, indicating his loss.**

 **"Next time, you may want to think a little harder before choosing an opponent." Glynda instructed.**

"Glynda should've been able to tell he was holding back. He didn't even look like he was pushing himself." Widow said.

"Everyone knows how skilled Pyrrha is. Forfeiting before she beats you makes sense to me." Peter said.

 **"I'll be sure to do that." Mercury agreed.**

 **An alarm sounded which jolted Blake who had nodded off.**

"Looks like Blake took a little cat nap." Tony said.

"She's probably not getting enough sleep, spending too much time worrying over this White Fang case. That's not good. She'll wreck at this rate." Cap said.

 **"That is all for today. And remember, the dance is this weekend. But you all have your first mission on Monday. I will not accept any excuses." Glynda warned them off-screen.**

 **As everyone left, Mercury stopped beside Emerald. "** **Learning is so much fun." He said to her.**

The Avengers all silently glared at this.

* * *

 **Outside, SSSN were standing at the entrance as Team RWBY walked past. Sun noticed Blake and ran after her.**

 **"Hey, Blake!" Sun called off-screen, before running up and grabbing Blake by her shoulder. "You uh, doing okay?" He asked.  
**

 **"I'm fine."** **Blake said, shutting the book she was reading.**

 **"So I hear there's this dance going on this weekend... ah, sounds pretty lame, but you and me, I'm thinking, not as lame, huh?" He asked.  
**

"Smooth." Peter said.

"Ouch. When this kid says you've got no game, you're REALLY in trouble." Clint said.

"Hey!" The web-swinger snapped.

 **"What?" She asked back.**

 **"The dance! This weekend! You wanna go, or what?" Sun offered.  
**

 **"I don't have time for a stupid dance. I thought you of all people would get that."** **Blake told him and walked away past her team. Sun sank from his rejection.**

"He doesn't have as big of a connection to the White Fang as her." Hulk said.

"Yes, but if they go through with it, it will only justify the negative attitude towards Faunus." Steve explained.

"Most troublesome indeed." Thor said.

 **"You what?"** **Blake demanded off-screen.**

* * *

 **The scene shifted to team RWBY in their dorm room. Blake was sitting with her arms crossed.**

 **"We want you to go to the dance." Ruby told her.**

 **"That's ridiculous." Blake snapped.**

"No, what's ridiculous is how worn out you look." Clint said.

"Reminded me of when I first started being Spider-Man. I hardly ever slept. And that came back to bite me." Peter said.

 **"Blake, we're worried about you. This investigation is starting to mess with your head." Yang said, concerned.  
**

 **"You can't sleep, you hardly eat, and to be honest, your grades have been suffering."** **Weiss explained, counting the facts on her fingers.**

 **"You think I care about grades?" Blake scoffed, shrugged and then gestured out the window. "People's lives are at stake!" She snapped.**

"She should care. Oobleck already told Jaune and Cardin in the first volume. Beacon only accepts the best of the best. If her grades get too low, I doubt they'll continue to let her stay there." Natasha said.

"And, you know, the whole 'not eating and sleeping thing' isn't great for her, either." Tony added.

 **Yang put her hand on Blake's, lowering it. "** **We know, and we're all still trying to figure out what Torchwick is up to." She reassured her.  
**

 **"Thanks to you and Sun, we know they're operating somewhere outside of southeast Vale." Ruby added.**

 **"And, the Schnee company records singled out Vale as the primary target for Dust robberies over the last few months." Weiss threw in.  
**

 **"Don't forget about their missing military tech too." Yang finished.**

"An impressive amount of information!" Thor said.

"Yeah. We'd be lucky to find that much info in one night." Cap said.

"The kids are good." Hulk said.

 **"But there's still unanswered questions!" Blake snapped.**

 **"Blake, you won't be able to find anything if you can't even keep your eyes open!" Ruby told her.**

 **"All we're asking is that you take it easy for one day." Yang said.  
**

 **"It will be fun! Yang and I will make sure of it." Weiss assured her.**

 **"Yeah! We're planning the whole event!"** **Yang said and pumped her fists which caused the bed to bounce Blake.**

"Wow. First years are almost never asked to plan big events for the school. Ozpin must really like Team RWBY." Spider-Man said.

"Any party Yang plans must be great." Clint said.

 **"Excuse me?" Blake demanded.**

 **"Team CFVY's away mission lasted longer than expected." Weiss explained.**

 **"So, Weiss and I were asked to pick up where they left off. And now we can make sure you have the perfect night." Yang added.  
**

"That would explain it." Widow said.

"Still, impressive they're the next ones to be asked." Tony said.

 **"And once it's all over, we'll return for our search, rested and ready." Weiss finished.**

 **"So what do ya think?" Ruby asked.**

 **"I think this is a colossal waste of time."** **Blake snapped and walked away from the group and opened the dorm door. "** **I'll be in the library." She told them and** **walked out of the room.**

 **"Great." Yang groaned.**

 **"She can't keep going on like this." Weiss said.** **There was a knock at the door and Weiss approached and opened it. Jaune appeared at the door with a guitar.**

"Oh, no..." The Avengers all groaned together, facepalming.

 **"Weiss!" Jaune sang.** **Weiss slammed the door in his face.** **"Oh, come on, open the door! I promise not to sing." Jaune whined off-screen.** **Weiss opened the door. "** **I lied! Weiss Schu-nee, will you accompany me, to the dance on... Sunday!?" He continued to sing.  
**

 **"Are you done?" Weiss asked.**

 **"Yes?"** **Jaune said unsurely, shrugging.**

 **"No." She declined and shut the door in his face.**

"Well, he was pretty decent on the guitar." Steve said.

"Don't encourage him." Hulk said.

 **Turning around, she saw the others staring at her. What?" She demanded.**

 **Both girls were standing precariously. "** **And that is why they call you the Ice Queen." Yang said, before** **Ruby finally collapsed.**

 **"All my life, boys have only cared about the perks of my last name. Besides, I already have a date in mind." Weiss explained.**

"I can relate to this. In my youth, many young Asgardian females wished to be with me for my status as future king." Thor said.

"Yep. College hotties were all over me, all after my money." Tony agreed, nodding.

 **"Date or no date, none of this will matter if we can't get Blake to go." Ruby said sadly.  
**

"Sometimes pulling someone away from a mission they take personally can be the hardest thing in the world." Widow said.

"I think all of us have had a mission like that at one point or another. If anyone knows that, it's us." Clint said.

* * *

 **That night, Pyrrha and Jaune were sparring at their spot on the roof. Jaune appeared to gain the upper hand until Pyrrha swept his legs out from under him.** **Pyrrha laughed. "Well done! Your swordplay's improved immensely." She praised and** **helped Jaune to his feet.**

"She's right. Compared to how he was in the beginning, he's gotten much better." Cap said approvingly.

"Cuz Pyrrha's a 4 time champion." Hulk said.

"Indeed. Few are more qualified to teach another student than young Pyrrha." Thor agreed.

 **"I couldn't have done it without you." He said.**

 **"So, are you ready to move on to Aura?" She asked.**

 **"I'm actually thinking maybe we just skip Aura for tonight? Might go on a jog or something." He said, clearly upset about something.  
**

"Still sulking about Weiss." Clint said.

"Get over it, man. She was never into you and she never will be. You've got an awesome redhead practically and sometimes literally throwing herself at you." Tony said.

 **"Come on, I know you get frustrated, but you must keep trying. I'm sure you'll discover your Semblance any day now." She told him.**

 **"That's not it. It's just..." He started, before hesitating. "It's dumb." He said.**

"Oh, no! Don't do it!" Spider-Man said, horrified.

"What?! What is it?" Cap asked.

"He's going to admit his problems with Weiss, to the girl that likes him." Widow said, facepalming.

 **"What is it?" She asked as she approached Jaune and placed her hand on his shoulder. "Jaune, you know you can tell me." She assured him.**

 **"It's... Weiss." He admitted.**

"That's not my name." Clint said in sing-song as if that was meant for Pyrrha to say.

 **Pyrrha's face fell slightly. "Oh. What about her?" She asked.**

 **"I asked her to the dance and she shot me down." He explained, giggling halfheartedly. "Big surprise, right?" He asked.**

 **"Well, I believe the saying goes: There's... plenty of fish in the sea." Pyrrha said.**

"Listen to her!" Peter screamed.

"For once in your life Jaune, take the hint!" Tony cried out, half-pleadingly, half-furiously at Jaune's ignorance. If that were him, he would've instantly picked up on it and picked up Pyrrha for a date later that night... if he was her age, of course!

 **"That's easy for you to say. You've probably got guys clamoring over each other just to ask you out." Jaune said.**

 **"You'd be surprised."** **Pyrrha chuckled half-heartedly.**

 **"** **Oh please. If you don't get a date to the dance, I'll wear a dress. Heh."** ** **Jaune dismissed the thought** and** **walked away. Pyrrha dropped her smile and looked rather upset.**

"PLEASE let her get a date." Hulk pleaded.

"Indeed. Male warriors should never be seen in a dress!" Thor agreed.

 **"And finally, Pyrrha Nikos."** **Emerald said off-screen.**

"Wait, what?!" The Avengers all asked.

* * *

 **The scene shifted to Cinder in her dorm room, sewing a black dress as she sat on one of the beds. Emerald was sitting on the floor while looking at her Scroll and Mercury was lying on the ground and reading a comic book.**

 **"Ah, the invincible girl." Cinder said.  
**

 **"She's smart, but I wouldn't say invincible." Mercury corrected.**

"Oh, no. They figured it out." Hawkeye said.

"Pyrrha can definitely fight without her semblance, but if she needs to go all out, them knowing about how she fights with it is a MASSIVE disadvantage for her." Widow said.

 **"Do tell." Cinder told them.  
**

 **"Her Semblance is Polarity. But you'd never know just by watching." Emerald began.**

 **"After she made contact with my boots, she was able to move them around however she wanted. But she only made slight adjustments." Mercury explained.**

"Well, he's not right on the money. She doesn't have to make contact first. We saw that with Jaune's shield in Forever Falls and all those soda cans in the food fight." Peter said.

"Which, now that I think about it, shouldn't have worked. Soda cans are made out of aluminum. And that's not magnetic." Tony realized.

"Tony, you're losing focus." Steve warned.

 **"Just enough to make it look like she's untouchable. She doesn't broadcast her power, so it puts her opponent at a disadvantage." Emerald finished.**

 **"Hmm... People assume that she's fated for victory, when she's really taking fate into her own hands. Interesting. Add her to the list." Cinder instructed.  
**

"List?" Peter asked worriedly.

"It's either a list of potential allies... or a list of threats." Widow said.

"Pyrrha would never join them." Hulk said.

"So it's a list of threats. And threats need to be eliminated." Thor said with a growl.

 **"You should be able to take her no problem." Mercury explained.  
**

"Definitely not a list of allies, then." Cap said.

"Suddenly, I wish all of these kids were wearing full suits or armor." Tony said, slightly worried for RWBY and JNPR.

 **"It's not about overpowering the enemy. It's about taking away what power they have. And we will, in time." Cinder explained.**

 **"I hate waiting." Mercury complained.**

 **"Don't worry, Mercury. We have a fun weekend ahead of us." Cinder told him, before everything went black.  
**

* * *

"Well, that can't be good." Peter said.

"They mentioned a list and put Pyrrha on it. I definitely don't like the sound of that." Cap said.

"I'm hoping this isn't the case, but I'd be putting my money on 'hit list'." Tony said.

"We know Emerald and Mercury are willing to kill people that threaten Cinder. It's definitely a possibility." Widow agreed.

"Those fiends!" Thor snapped.

"I hope Yang smashes them all!" Hulk growled.

"Things are getting tense now. No way we're stopping here." Clint said, starting the next episode.

* * *

 **A/N: Thank you all for reading and let me know your thoughts in the reviews! I'm sorry this took so long. I've been having to take care of my visiting nephew, which has SERIOUSLY cut into my writing time, along with other daily distractions. Rest assured, I will continue updating as often as I can. But please, all I ask for is your impatience and to please stop constantly sending reviews asking for updates. It will happen, but you have to wait. Again, thank you and keep an eye out for the next chapter!  
**


	22. Episode 16: Burning the Candle

"Man, Blake is really going overboard with this investigation, isn't she?" Peter asked.

"Yeah. And she's gonna fall apart at this rate. It's not always a matter if you can keep going, it's a matter if you should keep going. Because sooner or later everyone needs to stop. And if you're not careful, you'll stop at the wrong time and get yourself killed." Cap said.

"She's gonna crash." Hulk said.

"Hopefully the rest of Team RWBY has a plan to get her to that dance. Or at least to just take a nap." Widow said.

"Only one way to find out." Tony said, starting the episode.

* * *

 **A glum Ruby was resting her head on her hand and staring into the distance before she was startled by someone slamming their palms on the table she was at.**

 **"I need you to pick a tablecloth." Weiss instructed with a smile as she slid two squares over to Ruby, both seeming to be similar shades of white.**

 **"Aren't they both the same?"** **Ruby asked, confused.**

Tony sighed at this. "I always hated those big wig events that had to be planned down to the tiniest detail." He groaned.

"Sometimes it's not even the color that's different, but the texture. But at the end of the day, I doubt anyone cares this much about tablecloths." Widow said.

 **Weiss sighed in frustration. "I don't even know why I asked!" She snapped and** **walked out of the scene as Yang came in carrying a massive sound speaker on her shoulder, which bounced her sister and the table she was moping on again to jump in the air when she dropped it on the ground.**

"Another fine demonstration of strength, Yang!" Thor cheered.

"It's good to see you compliment your daughter." Hulk teased, causing Thor to growl.

"Even I'd have a bit of trouble lifting that. She made it look easy." Cap said.

 **"So, have you picked out a dress yet?"** **Yang asked her sister, brushing her hands as she approached Ruby.**

 **"What's the point? Who cares about the dance if Blake isn't going?" Ruby questioned.  
**

 **"Oh, don't worry; she's going." Yang assured her, before she looked over off-screen, exasperated. "Weiss! I thought we agreed: No doilies!" She told the heiress.**

 **"If I don't get doilies, you don't get fog machines!"** **Weiss countered as she walked up to Yang, pointing in her face.**

"Oh, come on! Fog machines are awesome! Nobody cares about doilies!" Tony groaned.

"My aunt likes doilies..." Peter said under his breath.

 **The girls were interrupted by the sound of doors opening.** **"Your dance is gonna have fog machines?"** **Neptune asked, walking in with Sun.**

 **"We were thinking about it..."** **Weiss confirmed, stepping up to him, becoming sweet.**

 **"That's pretty cool." Neptune complimented.**

 **"You ladies all excited for dress-up?"** **Sun asked as he came into the scene, acting suave to Weiss' ire.**

 **"Pfft... Yeah, right!" Ruby denied.**

"Ruby should be happy for this. She should really go. Dances like those are great times to unwind from the hero biz." Spider-Man said.

"Oh? Then maybe you should take her." Clint teased.

"What?! I-I didn't mean me! Besides, she's on a different planet! I couldn't go if I wanted to." Peter said frantically.

"I don't know, Spidey, I've been working on new space travel vehicles. Maybe we could get you there." Tony offered, equally teasing.

Thor caught on and smirked at this. "Oh, yes. Perhaps I could even ask my father if he could find Remnant for you and send you there." He added.

"C-come on, guys! Even if I could go there, I doubt she'd just say yes to going. Besides, this is a recording, so it's already gone by!" Peter denied.

"Well, maybe with a time machine..." Widow started with a smirk.

"Yeah, go for it!" Hulk added.

"Guys, enough teasing him. Let's just watch the show." Cap said, rolling his eyes.

 **"Laugh all you want. I'll be turning heads tomorrow night!" Yang said confidently.  
**

 **"What are you two wearing?"** **Weiss asked, addressing Sun and Neptune.**

 **"Uuhhh... this?" Sun said, gesturing to his current shirtless outfit.**

The Avengers all facepalmed at this.

 **Neptune stepped up and held a hand in front of his friend's face. "Ignore him for he knows not what he says." He said.**

 **Sun knocked Neptune's hand away. "Hey, I may have moved to Mistral, but I grew up in Vacuo. It's not exactly a shirt-and-tie kind of place." He explained.**

 **"Yeah, we noticed."** **Yang said, mirroring Ruby's and Weiss' looks of being told something extremely obvious.**

 **Sun rubbed the back of his head, preparing to ask: "Soooo... what does Blake think of all this? She still being all, y'know... Blake-y?" He delivered his question.  
**

"What a way with words you have, Sun." Hawkeye said sarcastically.

"And he has about as much tact as you." Widow added.

 **"Obviously." Weiss huffed, turned and crossed her arms in disapproval.**

 **"I still can't think of a way to change her mind." Ruby lamented.**

 **"Guys." Yang interrupted, everyone looking at her as she started walking out. "Trust me; Blake will be at the dance tomorrow." She promised.**

"Well, she's definitely got some kind of plan." Tony said.

"Let's hope it's a good one. And not one that'll just make her even madder." Spider-Man said.

* * *

 **The Faunus herself was sitting at one of the library tables with a holographic screen in front of her. She was obviously more sleep-deprived than ever, barely focusing on what she was seeing... until a small, bright red light appeared on the screen. Moving up and down, Blake's eyes followed it down to her hand, then disappeared entirely. She looked behind herself, obviously irritated, but no one walking among the tables was her culprit.**

"Oh, no..." Cap said.

"Laser pointer? Really?" Hulk asked.

 **Turning back to the computer, she started typing on the beeping keyboard before the laser dot appeared on her hand briefly, prompting her to look around again and still find no one. The red point showed up on the screen, moving around in circles until Blake scowled and pounded her fists on the table. She stood up from her chair and found the light on the floor, following it blindly through shelves of books until both the dot and its pursuer turned the corner, only for Blake to bump, shocked and shaken out of her more "animal" instincts, into...**

"Unorthodox, but it worked." Thor said.

"A bit mean, though. She basically just treated Blake like a cat." Peter said.

 **"He-lloooo!"** **Yang said** ** **in a sing-song voice,** waving with her left hand as her right held the laser pointer. **

**"What are you...?" Blake started, but was interrupted** **when** **Yang grabbed Blake's arm.**

 **"We need to talk." The blonde brawler told her.** **And with that, amid Blake's single cry of surprise, Yang whisked her partner out of the scene.**

"Well, that left no room for argument." Tony said.

"Good. That means they won't argue in the library." Widow said.

* * *

 **Emerging from the steaming bathroom in nothing but a pink towel wrapped around his lower body, Ren sighed in contentedness and started walking away, only to be stopped by Jaune suddenly appearing in front of him.**

 **"We need to talk!" Jaune told him.**

 **And with that, amid Ren's single cry of surprise, Jaune pulled his teammate away, leaving his bottle of "Samurai Shampoo" to spin in the air before dropping to the ground.**

The Avengers chuckled at the similar scene, but also couldn't help but to roll their eyes. "At least let him get dressed first." Cap said.

"Yeah, not many guys are comfortable talking to other guys in just a towel." Clint said.

* * *

 **Jaune was sitting on his bed in the dorm room, talking to Ren off-screen. "Ren... I'm just gonna say it. You are one of my best friends. These past few months, I feel like we've really bonded, even though you don't say much. I mean, you're really quiet. To be perfectly honest, I don't know that much about you, personally, but** **darn** **it, I consider you to be the brother I never had!" Jaune admitted.**

"A touching sentiment. I consider all of you to be a second family as well." Thor told everyone.

The Avengers all smiled at this. "Aww, we feel the same about you, big guy. You're like the cool uncle." Peter said. Uncle Ben was great, but he was the uncle who was more like a father, so the cool uncle spot was open for grabs and Thor took it.

"We've bee through more than any family ever should. We couldn't be anything less at this point." Widow said.

 **The vision pulled back enough to reveal that Ren was still only wearing his towel and looking extremely uncomfortable, but he still nodded and smiled to Jaune when he was done. "And I you." He returned the sentiment, trying to be attentive from then on, but kept glancing at his usual outfit hanging by the door.**

"And Ren feels the same. Nice." Hulk said with a smile.

"In a way, being a team is like being a family." Cap said.

 **"Which is why I wanted to get your advice on... girls." Jaune inquired.**

 **"Girls?" Ren ased, sounding surprised, but started reaching out for his clothes while Jaune was looking away.**

 **"I just... don't know... how to... girls. Um, I-I guess what I'm asking is... Well, how did you and Nora... y'know..."** **Jaune tried to find the right words.**

 **Ren put his hand down after almost touching the green robe, but looked even more awkward now. "Uh... uh... uh..." He stammered.**

"Awkward." Clint said.

"You know what they say about assuming, Jaune-y boy." Tony said.

 **Nora cleared her throat to get the boys' attention on her, wearing nothing but her emblazoned headphones, a "BOOP" T-shirt and pink lightning bolt underwear as she read a book resting on her knees, before she laughed nervously. "We're actually not 'together-together...'" She admitted.**

 **"NORA I SAID HEADPHONES ON!" Jaune snapped and** **Nora did so quickly under her leader's command.**

"She was in the room this whole time? If he didn't want her listening, tell her to go to the bathroom or something, but make sure she's not still there!" Peter said.

"He's got two girls on his team. Ask them about it." Hulk said.

"I'm kind of surprised she's okay with being in her underwear in front of two boys." Natasha said.

 **"Jaune, what is this all about?"** **Ren asked, focusing on his friend fully.**

 **Jaune sighed deeply before speaking. "It's Weiss. I'm completely head-over-heels for her, and she won't even give me a chance. She's cold, but she's also incredible. She's smart, and graceful, and talented. I mean, have you heard her sing? I-I just wish she's take me seriously, y'know? I wish I could tell her how I feel without messing it all up."** **He admitted, obviously depressed by staring at the floor as he talked.**

"Dang. Too bad she didn't hear that. She'd practically jump into his arms." Tony said.

"Indeed. I've only heard Loki spin words so beautifully before this. But they lacked sincerity. Jaune's held nothing but truth and passion." Thor said.

 **"Then do it."** **Pyrrha said, off-screen.**

 **Jaune looked up to see Pyrrha in the doorway, with Ren and Nora doing the same. "Uh, wha?" He asked.**

 **Pyrrha walked into the room. "Tell her exactly what you said. No ridiculous schemes, no pick-up lines. Just... be honest." She explained.  
**

"Giving him advice so he can be with the girl he wants, when all she wants is him. She's willing to sacrifice her happiness for his. That's beautiful." Widow said, almost shedding a tear.

"She's a good kid." Hulk said with a proud smile.

 **"But what if I-" He started.**

 **"Jaune." Pyrrha said with a smile. "You can't get it wrong if it's the truth." She told him.  
**

The Avengers all smiled and nodded at this. (Truer words were never spoken.) The all thought.

 **Jaune looked up with a new confidence. "You're right." He said and stood up. "Thanks, Pyrrha!" He thanked his partner and looked back to his bed as he went out. "Good talk, Ren!" He added.**

 **Ren smiled and waved his thanks while Jaune closed the door. Upon doing so, Pyrrha became noticeably less cheerful as she walked over to her desk, with a concerned Nora watching her with sad eyes.**

 **Nora sighed. "Practice what you preach, Pyrrha." She told her friend.  
**

"If only it were that easy." Peter said, knowing how many times he tried to confess to May Jane.

"The hardest battles are ones of the heart." Steve said.

* * *

 **"Yang, if you're going to tell me to stop, you may as well save your breath." Blake told her partner.**

 **Yang was sitting cross-legged on the central desk of the empty classroom they were in, orange light shining across her calm features. "I don't want you to stop; I want you to slow down." She explained.**

 **"I don't have the luxury to slow down."** **Blake countered as she continued to pace with arms crossed, still irritated.**

 **"It's not a luxury; it's a necessity." Yang contradicted.  
**

"She beat me to it." Widow said.

"I've lost count of how many times we could've stopped a crisis if one of us had slowed down and stopped obsessing over something." Tony said.

 **"The 'necessity' is stopping Torchwick." Was Blake's rebuttal.  
**

 **"And we're going to. But first you have to sit down and listen to what I have to say." Yang told her and patted the part of the desk across from her.**

 **Blake looked away for a moment until she relented and draped her legs over the desk's edge. "Fine." She said.**

 **"Ruby and I grew up in Patch, an island off the coast of Vale. Our parents were Huntsmen. Our dad taught at Signal, and our mom took on missions around the kingdom. Her name was Summer Rose, and she was, like... Super-Mom: Baker of cookies and slayer of giant monsters. And then... one day she left for a mission and never came back." Yang began, looking down as she mentioned Summer's fate and Blake looked sorry for her.**

The Avengers all lowered their heads in sadness at this. They all knew how hard it was to lost a family member.

 **"It was tough. Ruby was really torn up, but... I think she was still too young to really get what was going on, y'know? And my dad just kind of... shut down. It wasn't long before I learned why. Summer wasn't the first love he lost; she was the second. The first... was my mom." She explained as Blake looked amazed at this information.**

"WHAT?!" All the Avengers shouted in shock.

"So Yang and Ruby are only half-sisters, then. Same father, but different mothers." Cap said.

"But man, whoever their father is must have the worst luck. Losing two different wives. This guy's gotta be hurting." Clint said.

"Wow, tactless much?" Peter asked, slightly glaring at the archer.

 **"He wouldn't tell me everything, but I learned that the two of them had been on a team together with Summer and Qrow, and that she'd left me with him right after I was born. No one had seen her since." She elaborated.**

 **"Why did she leave you?" Blake asked.**

 **Yang sighed, then turned to the chalkboard. "That question... Why?" She started as she got off the desk and walked to the chalkboard, picking up a piece of chalk. "I didn't know an answer, but I was determined to find out. It was all I thought about. I would ask anyone I could about what they knew about her." She explained.**

"How vile! Yang's mother must be a truly treacherous woman! To abandon her child right after birth!" Thor growled.

"There might have been a reason for it, Thor." Cap said, although he had to admit, part of him was agreeing with the god of thunder.

"No way it's a good one." Hulk snarled as well.

 **As the reminiscent blonde started drawing on the board, the scene shifted to a flat-painted flashback of a young Yang, with orange bows holding her brunette pigtails, looking at the photo found in a smashed picture frame.**

 **"Then, one day, I found something. What I thought was a clue that could lead me to answers, or maybe even my mother." She told the story.  
**

 **The next shot showed Yang walking down a long winding path through the towering trees shedding their leaves with a little creaking wagon pulled right behind her, a little sister in a crimson hood sleeping soundly inside.**

"Man, she's putting in a lot of work to find someone who abandoned her. I wouldn't give my parents the time of day." Tony said.

"She just wanted answers. Maybe to get some closure. Or just to understand why." Peter said. He knew about losing parents and if he could find out anything about his, he'd do just about anything for it.

"For being so young, though, I'm amazed how far she managed to get." Natasha said.

 **"I waited for Dad to leave the house, put Ruby in a wagon, and headed out. I must've walked for hours. I had cuts and bruises, I was totally exhausted, but I wasn't gonna let anything stop me. When we finally got there, I could barely stand, but I didn't care; I had made it. And then I saw them. Those burning red eyes..." She went on.**

 **In the shadows of the worn-down house the siblings had arrived at, beastly red shapes glowed from the darkness.**

The Avengers were all shocked at the image, horrified of the thought of young children being in this situation. "Jeez. I mean, they clearly survived, but that doesn't make this any less scary." Clint said.

"Truly. If Yang indeed was my daughter, I would've ensured this would never happen." Thor said.

"Stopping kids from something only makes them want it more, Thor." Spider-Man said.

 **"There we were: A toddler sleeping in the back of a wagon and a stupid girl too exhausted to even cry for help. We might as well have been served on a silver platter.** **Yang illustrated off-screen, while her younger self looked petrified.**

 **"But, as luck would have it, our uncle showed up just in time." Yang retold off-screen, a** **s the Beowolves leapt into the air to devour their young prey, the familiar sound of a gun-scythe followed the sight of them all being cut into pieces by a caped warrior. His bird-haired silhouette faded away to present day, where Yang had just finished drawing a clockwork eye. "** **My stubbornness should've gotten us killed that night." She finished the story.**

"Well, that explains why she's so protective and loving towards Ruby." Natasha noted.

"Yeah, because she nearly got her killed when she was a toddler." Tony said.

"Harsh. But you're not wrong." Hulk agreed.

 **"Yang... I'm sorry that happened to you, and I understand what you're trying to tell me, but this is different. I'm not a child, and this isn't just a search for answers! I can't just-" Blake started.**

 **Yang still facing the board, clenched her fist. "I told you: I'm not telling you to stop! I haven't! To this day, I still want to know what happened to my mother and why she left me, but I will never let that search control me. We're going to find the answers we're looking for, Blake. But if we destroy ourselves in the process, what good are we?" She demanded.**

 **"You don't understand! I'm the only one who can do this!" Blake insisted.**

"No you're not. Your friends are just as capable as you, if not more so at this point, since they're not sleep-deprived." Cap said.

"And besides, team RWBY is only a bunch of first years. Shouldn't all the older students be on their level, if not higher?" Clint pointed out.

"Good point." Peter said.

 **"No, you don't understand!" Yang countered, turning around sharply to reveal red eyes and the sound of flames. "If Roman Torchwick walked through that door, what would you do?" She demanded.**

 **"I'd fight him!" Blake answered.**

 **"You'd lose!" Yang snapped and pushed Blake away.**

 **"I can stop him!" Blake insisted as she tiredly tried to do the same to Yang, but she didn't even budge.**

 **"You can't even stop me!" Yang countered as s** **he pushed Blake again, knocking her to land on the desk. Yang, still angry-eyed, walked toward Blake as she got up, but then did the unexpected and embraced her in a hug, her eyes going back to their normal purple.**

The Avengers all looked on sympathetically at this. They've all been in similar situations and only got past them because one of the others or the whole team convinced them to stop being so stubborn. "Yang really does care for her." Widow stated approvingly.

"Yeah. We've all had at least one moment we needed some serious sense talked into us." Peter said.

"Every team needs someone like her on it." Cap said.

 **"I'm not asking you to stop. Just please, get some rest." She pleaded and pulled back to look at her partner. "Not just for you, but for the people you care about." She added and stepped away and started walking past the startled Blake. "And if you feel like coming out tomorrow, I'll save you a dance." She said, looking back over her shoulder and** **winked down at Blake, who stared at Yang as she left before sighing heavily and walking away, leaving the all-seeing eye on the board.**

"That will be interesting to see." Clint said.

"It's a school dance, I doubt they'll get too crazy." Hulk said.

"Two young maidens dancing together. I didn't know this could occur. Such a thing is unheard of in Asgard." Thor said.

* * *

 **The white rose in Jaune's hand bounced up and down as its smiling owner walked through Beacon Academy until he stopped at the entrance of a hallway with the sound of a certain voice, causing him to duck behind the columns outside.**

 **"Neptune!" Weiss called to the blue-haired ow as she walked past Jaune as he peeked around the corner and went up to Neptune.**

"And that would be the date she had in mind." Tony said.

"Poor Jaune. Finally had the confidence and the right approach, but now it's too late." Cap said sadly.

 **"Oh, uh, hey, what's up?" Neptune asked.**

 **"I know this is a little unorthodox, but... I wanted to ask you something." Weiss started as she put her hands behind her back trying to look innocent as Jaune dropped his smile and recoiled at the oncoming words. "Would you... like to accompany me to the dance tomorrow?" She asked.**

 **While Neptune rubbed the back of his head and smiled with raised eyebrows, Jaune lost all of his confidence and dropped the rose on the ground before walking back from where he came from.**

"Ouch. That's rough..." Spider-Man said sympathetically.

"Truly, love can be as cruel as it is rewarding." Thor said, equally sympathetic.

"That womanizer doesn't deserve her." Natasha said in disgust.

* * *

 **The sight of the lonely, abandoned rose turned into a large collection of the same flowers, one dropping outward, in a large vase behind Yang, now in a short white dress with black heels as she stood at a podium. The doors in front of her opened and she flipped out upon seeing who walked in.**

 **"Ooohh, you look beautiful!" She said upon seeing her little sister.**

"They both do." Peter said with a smile.

"Yeah. Your daughter cleans up good, point break." Tony said.

"I'll ignore that barb, because I am in agreement, both Yang and Ruby do look ravishing." Thor said, although annoyance was still clear in his voice.

"So, like what you see, Spidey?" Tony teased.

"Knock it off, Tony!" Peter said, his blush under the mask almost matching the mask itself.

 **Ruby groaned as she looked distressed in her red dress with black lace, belt and pumps. "Can we have a serious talk about how Weiss fights in these?" She asked as she trie to maintain her balance as she walked to the podium, much to her laughing sister's amusement.**

"It's easier with training, but it's still terrible. But Weiss seems to only wear high heels, so she must be used to it." Widow said.

"Yep. I definitely prefer combat boots to dress shoes any day of the week." Hawkeye said, both agents having to fight in all different clothes during missions if crises came about, the clothes and shoes varying greatly in comfort and function when in battle.

* * *

 **Meanwhile outside, Sun was seen walking around and wearing a new black jacket (now closed up) with a white tie hung around his neck, which he proceeded to fight with before going inside.**

"I've seen more formal clothes, but I've definitely seen worse." Cap said.

"I hate ties." Hulk growled, sympathizing with Sun as he fought with the tie.

 **"Stupid... dumb... neck trap!" He snapped at the tie.** (Hulk nodded with his arms crossed)

 **"I knew you'd look better in a tie."** **Blake said off-screen.**

 **Sun stopped his struggling and stared at the dark purple dress worn by Blake, now looking like she traded her dark bags for violet eye-shadow, as she stepped forward and took him by the arm.**

"Man, these kids clean up better than some of us do!" Peter said.

"Yeah. Although, let's not mention any names." Hawkeye said with a smirk, looking to Thor and Hulk.

"Hey!" The two strongest Avengers snapped, glaring slightly, but did have to admit it was funny and he DID have a point.

 **"Sooo, does this mean we're going... together?" He asked.**

 **"Technically, though my first dance is spoken for." She explained.**

* * *

 **Inside the ballroom, streamers were hung through glass chandeliers, pink and blue balloons were everywhere and students in dark suits and bright dresses were stepping with each other to the music between the white-clothed tables. Blake was spun around by Yang before they curtsy to one another and Sun came up and took his date's hands as Yang gestured for him to do so. She went to hang with Ruby and Weiss, in a similar white dress as Yang's, in the back of the room, watching Blake laugh and enjoy herself before smiling at her team.**

The Avengers all smiled as they saw Blake laughing and having a good time. "I think she'll be fine." Cap said.

"Now just a good night sleep and she'll be back to 100%." Widow agreed.

 **"I told you she would come." Yang said.**

 **"Mission accomplished." Weiss agreed.**

 **Ruby turned to her teammates. "Soooo, what do we do now?" She asked.**

 **"Just have fun!" Yang said as she proceeded to walk away and do so, with Weiss going the opposite direction and leaving Ruby behind.**

 **"Does that mean I can change out of these stupid things and into my hood now?"** ** **Ruby shouted after Yang. U** pon receiving no answer, she waddled around in her painful footwear. "Stupid lady stilts!" She cursed the stilettos.**

"Wait, so Ruby didn't go with anybody?! I can't believe nobody asked her!" Peter said.

"Too bad you weren't there. You would've jumped at the chance." Tony teased.

"Yeah! Wait, what- no!" Peter tried to take back, but it was too late. Everyone heard him and laughed.

"We've gotta find Remnant. So Spidey can get his girlfriend." Hulk said.

"She's not my girlfriend!" Spider-Man cried, webbing Cap's shield and pulling it to himself, covering his face.

 **"Not enjoying yourself?" Ozpin asked, walking up to her.  
**

 **Ruby was surprised to see the headmaster step up by her side, but shook her head and laughed. "Oh, no, everything's fine! I'm just not much of a fancy pantsy... dance-y girl." She explained.**

 **"Well, you can't spend your whole life on the battlefield, even if you may want to." Ozpin told her.**

 **"Yeah, that lesson's been floating around a lot lately."** **Ruby said, crossing her arms, looking annoyed.**

"It's true. Even born warriors like Asgardians need our reprieve from battle." Thor agreed.

"Funny. You talk about being in battle so much, I never would've guessed." Hawkeye said.

 **"If you think about it, fighting and dancing aren't so different. Two partners interlocked, although one wrong move on the ballroom merely leads to a swollen foot."** **Ozpin explained, staring out at the dancing couples.**

 **"Or a twisted ankle."** **Ruby added, looking down at her own feet.**

 **"It's not every day that friends are able to come together like this. Time has a way of testing our bonds, but it's nights like these that can help keep them stronger than ever. Nights like these are ones we'll never forget." Ozpin offered his wisdom, before taking his leave.**

"The man knows what he's talking about." Widow said.

"Ozpin is definitely wise. I would give anything to have had more time with the Howling Commandos." Cap said, reminiscing about his old war friends.

 **Ruby smiled at the words of wisdom, but turned her head at the sound of the doors opening.**

 **Yang is back behind the podium, and smiles at the new arrivals.** **"You guys are just in time!" She said happily.**

 **Mercury and Emerald stepped in with their ballroom best on. "Wouldn't miss it for the world." He said** **before the screen went black.**

* * *

"Oh, great. It's them." Tony grumbled.

"But wait. It's only Emerald and Mercury. Where's Cinder?" Cap asked.

"Oh, those idiots! How could they not have thought of that!?" Clint said, realizing the problem.

"Friend Hawkeye, what is your cause for alarm?" Thor asked.

"This dance. Everyone's here. All the students, all the teachers. Even Ironwood. It's the perfect chance for them to pull something while nobody is around, guarding the school." Widow explained.

"Mercury and Emerald are lookouts, keeping an eye on everyone while Cinder does... Whatever she's going to do." Peter realized as well.

"Exactly." The two spies confirmed.

"But what are they gonna do?" Hulk asked.

"Only one way to find out." Widow said, starting the next episode.


	23. Episode 17: Dance Dance Infiltration

"Mercury and Emerald are at the dance, but where's Cinder?" Cap questioned suspiciously.

"Nowhere good, I'd bet." Clint said.

"There's only one way to find out." Widow stated, pressing play.

* * *

 **The first scene was of random students schmoozing at the dance. Oobleck was shown to be listening intently as Port laughed over some unheard anecdote. Ozpin was standing off to the side with Goodwitch until General Ironwood offered his hand for her to dance with him. Jaune approached Ruby, who was standing pensively near the refreshments tables.**

"She still hasn't found anyone to dance with..." Peter said sympathetically.

"Yeah. Too bad you can't be there to tango with her." Tony teased.

"Yeah... Hey, wait- no!" Spider-Man stammered at this, getting a chuckle from most of the Avengers.

"Alright, enough teasing the kid." Cap told them all.

 **"I see you're hiding at the punch bowl too." Jaune said.**

 **"Yep." Ruby confirmed,** ** **emphasizing the "p"** with an audible pop. **

**"To the socially awkward." Jaune said, holding out his cup.** **Ruby giggled and they clinked glasses.**

 **"Sorry things didn't work out with Weiss." Ruby said.**

 **"Meh, it's fine. Neptune's pretty 'cool'. I get why she went with him." Jaune dismissed.**

 **"What do you mean?" Ruby asked.**

"What?" Hulk asked.

"No..." Hawkeye said in disbelief.

"Could it be young Neptune did not take lady Weiss to the dance?" Thor asked.

"It looks like its going that way." Widow said.

 **"Well, come on, not many people can pull off blue hair."** **Jaune elaborated and began to drink his punch.**

 **"No, I mean, Weiss came to the dance alone." Ruby explained.**

 **Jaune choked in surprise.** **"Uh, what?"** **He asked, turning to Ruby.**

 **Weiss was shown trying desperately to coax life out of a wilting white rose. When she failed, she looks visibly upset. "** **Yeah, she said that she had too much to focus on to worry about boys." Ruby explained once again.  
**

"No way! He said no to the rich girl!?" Hulk asked.

"What was he thinking?!" Tony said in disbelief.

"How could he just reject someone like that. That's devastating to a kid in love. Any kid, really." Cap said, a hint of anger towards Neptune

 **Laughter drew Weiss' attention to Sun, Blake and Neptune as the latter entertained the others with some impressions and other silly faces. Jaune, shown to be observing as well, became visibly perturbed.**

 **"Hold my punch."** **Jaune told Ruby in a low growl,** **handing Ruby his glass and no sooner than he vanished from sight did she choose to drink from his cup. As Jaune made his way across the room, shoving other students aside, some of which were not even in his path, he stopped short and watched as Pyrrha passed by. He watched her walk glumly up the stairs and seemed to have a change of heart.**

Peter smiled at this. "Good. He's willing to do the right thing and help someone who needs it instead of giving in to anger." Spider-Man said with a smile under his mask.

"Worrying about his friend and teammate's problem before his. He's a good kid. And a good leader." Natasha said with an approving nod.

* * *

 **The scene shifted to Pyrrha on a balcony as Jaune approached behind her.** **Jaune stopped behind her and announced his presence. "Hey, Pyrrha." He greeted his teammate.**

 **Pyrrha turned around to face him. "** **Hello, Jaune." She returned the greeting.  
**

 **"You okay? I haven't seen you tonight."** **Jaune asked as he approached her.**

 **"Arrived late, I'm afraid."** **Pyrrha explained as she turned back to the balcony.**

"Don't tell me she doesn't have a date, too." Hulk said.

"But, everyone loves her. Why wouldn't they take her?" Cap asked.

"Sometimes celebrity life is tough. Even before I was Iron Man, people were intimidated to talk to me." Tony explained.

"Indeed. Many Asgardians are hesitant to approach their prince and champion." Thor agreed.

"Probably your egos scare them off." Hulk jabbed at the two.

 **"Well, you look really nice." Jaune complimented her.**

 **Pyrrha raised her hand near her mouth. "Thank you." She said, her hand falling away.**

 **"Your, uh, date isn't going to beat me up for saying that, is he?"** **Jaune asked, nervously tipping on his toes.**

 **"I think you're safe for tonight." Pyrrha assured him.  
**

 **"So, where is the guy?"** **Jaune asked, rubbing his hands.**

 **Pyrrha turned back toward Jaune.** **"There is no guy." She admitted as her** **head sank in melancholy.**

"Poor girl." Widow said sympathetically.

"Come on! The girl's amazing!" Clint snapped.

"That may be why." Peter said.

 **Jaune huffed nervously. "What?" He questioned.**

 **"Nobody asked me." She explained,** ** **shaking her head glumly.****

 **Jaune was left in shock and disbelief at this. "But that's..." He stammered, gesturing toward her. "You're Pyrrha Nikos!" He said while shrugging, dumbfounded. "H-How could nobody ask you?" He asked, baffled.**

 **Pyrrha turned toward the balcony. "I've been blessed with incredible talents and opportunities. I'm constantly surrounded by love and praise, but when you're placed on a pedestal like that for so long, you become separated from the people that put you there in the first place." She explained, turning back to Jaune. "Everyone assumes I'm too good for them. That I'm on a level they simply can't attain. It's become impossible to form any sort of meaningful relationship with people." She recalled sadly.**

Thor sighed at this. "Young Pyrrha speaks the truth. As I said, other Asgardians were hesitant to approach me as I am prince and wielder of Mjolnir. It's as if they've forgotten I am one of them." He said sadly.

"Yeah. And some soldiers back in the day weren't too keen on the idea of working with a guy stronger than 3 of them," Cap agreed, remembering some soldiers hesitant to fight alongside him, thinking he was a dangerous freak. Thank goodness for the Howling Commandos.

 **"That's what I like about you. When we met, you didn't even know my name. You treated me just like anyone else. And thanks to you, I've made friendships that will last a lifetime. I guess, you're the kind of guy I wish I was here with. Someone who just saw me for me." She told him.**

"TAKE THE HINT, BOY!" All the Avengers shouted at once.

 **Pyrrha looked at Jaune and then walked away while Jaune simply stared in astonishment. "** **W-Wai-!" He tried to call after her, but only** **watched as Pyrrha turned a corner. Neptune had appeared on the balcony, gesturing toward Jaune.**

"Him..." The Avengers all growled at the arrival of Neptune.

 **"Hey, uh, Jaune, right?" Neptune asked.**

 **Jaune sighed. "Yeah." He confirmed.**

 **"This party's pretty lame, huh? I mean, ballroom dancing. Pfft." Neptune said.  
**

 **"Yeah."** **Jaune said, looking back out over the balcony.**

 **"Cute girls, though, huh?"** **Neptune asked, gesturing back to the dance.**

"Of course that's all he thinks about." Widow growled. She hated womanizers, especially Neptune, as that seemed to be his defining trait, other than just being cool.

"Yeah, they're supposed to be like the heroes of their world, they're supposed to be better than that." Cap said.

 **Jaune growled as he turned back to Neptune. "Is that all you think about?" He demanded.**

 **"Huh?"** **Neptune asked, raising his palms to waist level.**

 **"Do you even care about the girls you're hitting on? How they feel about you?" Jaune questioned angrily.  
**

"I'm not sure he has the right to say that, considering all the times he hit on Weiss when she's clearly showed no interest, but at least he only goes for one girl and he has genuine feelings for her." Tony said.

"Whoa! And that's coming from Tony Stark! The king of meaningless flirting." Hawkeye said.

 **"Whoa!" Neptune said, throwing his palms up. "Where's this coming from?" He asked.**

 **"How could you just turn her down like that?"** **Jaune demanded once again, opening his arms wide.**

 **"Wait, h-who?" Neptune asked.**

 **"Weiss!" Jaune snapped.  
**

 **"I, uh... it, uh... it just didn't work out, you know?" Neptune tried to explain, seeming like he was trying to avoid something.**

"Probably something else Tony said to a lot of girls." Hulk said.

"When did this turn into joking about me and my love life?" Tony questioned.

"Consider it revenge for the remarks of Yang and Nora being my daughters." Thor said with a smirk.

 **"What? You think that you're too cool, too many other options? Weiss Schnee asked you to the dance. What in the world could possibly keep you from go-" Jaune continued to dig into Neptune, before the bluenette finally answered.**

 **"I can't dance!"** **Neptune admitted, looking shamefully at the ground.**

"What?" All the Avengers asked, dumbfounded.

 **"Beg your pardon?" Jaune asked, quickly calming down, anger replaced with curiosity.  
**

 **"I can't dance, man!" Neptune confessed.**

 **"But... you're so cool!" Jaune said, in disbelief for the second time this night.  
**

 **"Thank you. I try really, really hard." Neptune said.**

 **"You would rather break a girl's heart and go to a dance alone than just admit to everyone that you can't move in rhythm to music?" Jaune asked.  
**

 **"That about sums it up, yeah." Neptune confirmed.**

"What?! But dancing's so easy! You could do anything! Just moving back and forth or bobbing your head is dancing!" Peter said.

"That's all I ever did at my school dances." Clint agreed.

"At least back in my day, dancing could just be anything as long as music was playing." Steve noted.

"After learning ballet in the red room, it's hard to imagine people not being able to dance." Natasha said.

 **"Well, I certainly feel a lot better about myself."** **Jaune said, turning back to the balcony.**

 **"Please don't tell anybody. Look, if you want Weiss, she's all yours. I don't wanna get in your way."** **Neptune pleaded, raising his palms.**

 **Jaune turned back towards Neptune.** **"Do you like her?"** **He asked, placing his palms on the stone banister.**

 **"Yeah, I mean I don't know her too well yet, but she seems pretty cool." Neptune confirmed.**

 **"Then just go talk to her. No pickup lines, no suave moves, just be yourself. I've heard that's the way to go." Jaune told Neptune the same sage advice Pyrrha had offered him, crossing his arms.**

"Hey, that's what Pyrrha said to him." Hulk pointed out.

"Indeed. Pyrrha's wisdom is worthy of being spread to all young people struggling to confess their love." Thor said.

 **"Yeah, but then-" Neptune started.**

 **"Hey! You don't have to look cool all the time. In all honesty, if you could be a little less cool, I'd really appreciate it." Jaune told him.**

 **Neptune considered Jaune's advice. "** **Yeah, okay." Neptune agreed.**

 **"Go talk to her. I guarantee it'll make her night." Jaune said.**

"And as a bonus it will make you actually respectable." Tony said.

"Yeah. You can finally be more than just the cool ladies' man." Hawkeye agreed.

 **"Thanks. You're a really cool guy, Jaune." Neptune complimented the blonde.  
**

 **Neptune approached Jaune, holding his fist out for a bump.** **"Alright, don't lie to my face."** **Jaune said, approaching Neptune,** **the two of them bumping fists and Neptune walked away.**

 **Jaune sighed. "All right, only one thing left to do." He told himself.**

"What could that be?" Cap wondered.

"Yeah. I doubt he's gonna confess to Weiss now that he told Neptune to do that." Spider-Man said.

Widow thought for a moment, remembering something from one of the last episodes and smirking. "Oh. I might have an idea." She said, giggling evilly.

* * *

 **The scene shifted to show Yang leaning on a handrail and overlooking the festivities from a second tier as Ruby approached and leaned on the rail.**

 **"You know? I think we really needed this." Yang said.**

 **Blake and Sun were slow dancing while Ren and Nora appeared to be Waltzing. Penny was shown to be dancing alone, guarded by two Atlas Soldiers.**

"Nice. Even Penny gets to dance!" Hulk said happily.

"Indeed. She seems to be quite enjoying herself despite her situation." Thor said.

 **"Yeah, and you did a great job planning it too!" Ruby complimented her sister.  
**

 **"Aw, thanks!"** ** **Yang said happily, reaching over to Ruby and** crushing her in a one-arm hug as she flailed frantically. "It wasn't all me, though. Weiss did a lot too." She explained. ****Ruby stopped struggling and looked down at Weiss. Neptune approached and rubbed his neck nervously. Weiss invited him to sit with her.** **"Tomorrow it's back to work."** **Yang chuffed.**

"Well, you got a nice weekend off. That's more than we can ask for a lot of the time." Tony said.

"We're lucky to even have a day off sometimes." Clint agreed.

 **"I'm sure we can handle whatever gets thrown at us." Ruby assured her. Sudden fits of laughter and giggles drew their attention below. "Ex-cept for that." She said.  
**

"What could it be?" Thor wondered.

"Why is everyone laughing?" Hulk asked.

 **The camera pushed past some students to Pyrrha who turned around to see... "** **Jaune?" She asked, dumbstruck.  
**

 **Jaune was shown to now be wearing a white dress with a blue ribbon. "** **Eh, a promise is a promise." He said with a shrug.**

The male Avengers were all shocked at this, Cap and Tony spitting out their drinks as the others jaws dropped at what they were seeing, Widow giggling along with everyone in the show. "What the?!" The boys all asked.

"Dude, what are you doing?! That's like the nightmare you avoid at all costs!" Peter screamed.

"Indeed! Jaune has cast away his masculine pride! He is no longer worthy." Thor said judgmentally.

"Well, at least he keeps his promises." Cap said.

 **Pyrrha smiled... then giggled... then laughed aloud. "Jaune! You didn't have to!" She told him.**

 **"Hey, an Arc never goes back on his word." He said, extending his hand to Pyrrha. "Now do you wanna stand there and laugh at me, or do you wanna dance?" He asked.  
**

"About time." Natasha said with a smile and nod of approval.

"Well, it's not like they're officially together or going full make-out session yet, but it's a great start." Clint agreed.

 **Pyrrha offered her own hand. "I would love to dance." She said as Jaune pulled her to him and swept her away. "Oh!" She exclaimed in surprise.**

 **"Ren. This... is... happening!"** **Nora cheered, flailing excitedly.**

 **"Wait, what 'is happening'?"** **Ren asked, looking at the audience.**

"I swear, it's like they know someone is watching! Blake and Ren have both looked right at the screen!" Spider-Man said.

"Well, for them, it's just another direction. I doubt they know there's a screen there watching them." Steve assured the boy.

 **Nora grabbed Ren and dragged him out onto the dance floor with Pyrrha and Jaune. JNPR performed a short but elaborately choreographed dance, culminating in Jaune spinning Pyrrha. "** **I had no idea you were a dancer." She said as she and Jaune danced together.**

 **"Yeah, well, these things tend to happen when you grow up with seven sisters." Jaune explained,** **then** **dipped Pyrrha and then spun her away.**

"Very nice dancing." Widow praised.

"They got moves." Hulk agreed.

"That's almost boy band levels of coordination." Tony said, impressed.

"Seven sisters! By Odin's beard. I can scarcely handle one brother!" Thor said in shock and fear.

 **Neptune and Weiss were shown to be watching the dancers. "** **So, what made you change your mind?" Weiss asked.**

 **"Huh?" Neptune asked.**

 **"You said you were embarrassed at first. What made you come talk to me?" Weiss elaborated her question.**

 **"You're looking at him." Neptune explained as they watched Jaune dancing with Pyrrha. "You got some good friends looking out for ya." He said.**

 **Jaune and Pyrrha continued to dance. Ren and Nora did a kind of disco dance, Sun and Blake joined the mix and Penny and an Atlas guard were showing doing "the robot".**

The Avengers all chuckled at this. "Oh, the irony." Hulk said.

"It's nice to see them all enjoying themselves. And Neptune's right. Weiss does have excellent friends looking out for her." Cap stated.

 **Mercury and Emerald were shown to be observing the students from the next tier. "** **It appears all the dancers have partners." Emerald reported  
**

 ** _"How long do I have?"_** **Cinder was heard via ear-bud.**

"So we were right. Those two are keeping an eye on anyone who could catch Cinder while she puts her plan into action." Widow said with a glare.

"But we still have no idea what she's doing." Clint said.

"We're about to find out." Tony said.

 **"You should probably be home by midnight, to be safe." Mercury suggested.**

 **Cinder was shown to be somewhere outside, holding her fingers to her ear. "** **I'll keep my eye on the clock." She assured them.**

 **Ruby, having made her way to the exit, walked out of the dance and into the night air. She watched a figure running along the rooftops and then moved to pursue.**

"Well, looks like Emerald and Mercury aren't very good at their jobs." Tony said with a smirk.

"Come on, Ruby! You can do it! I believe in you!" Peter said.

"Yes! Prove yourself and defeat this villain!" Thor cheered.

* * *

 **Outside the Cross Continental Transmit System Tower, Cinder, dressed as a cat burglar, stealthily approached an armed guard. She knife-handed the back of his head, rendering him unconscious with a stunned grin on his face. She dragged him behind some bushes.**

Clint chuckled. "Dang it! I didn't want to, but that grin just made me laugh." He said.

"I have to admit, one of the perks of infiltration missions I go on is seeing the faces of guards I knock out." Natasha admitted.

 **Inside the building, Cinder approached more guards. "** **Excuse me, no one's allowed in this area." One soldier informed Cinder as she continued to approach. "Stop!"** **The soldier gave one last warning, before he opened fire when Cinder did not heed him. She managed to overpower him, using his gun to take out another approaching soldier. She then threw him against a handrail. Two more soldiers rush her wielding batons. Cinder flash-forged a pair of black blades from fire Dust and trounced them both.**

"I hate to say it, but she's a real good fighter. I might even have a problem with her up close." Cap said.

"And don't forget she has all that fire magic for a distance, too." Tony added.

 **Two guards were shown to be on an elevator. "** **Hey, man, do you know the WiFi password?" The guard on the right asked.**

 **"It's Beacon, but replace the E with a 3 and add a pound symbol to the end." The other guard answered.**

"Makes sense. It's a school WiFi, so it can't bee too complicated." Peter said.

"Yeah, or Jaune would never got on the internet." Hulk teased.

 **The elevator door opened to show Cinder waiting. One of the guards noticed the fallen men outside. Both guards grew apprehensive as Cinder casually walked onto the elevator, the doors closing as she turned around. Thrashing sounds could be heard from outside the elevator.**

"They're toast." Hulk said simply, the other Avengers nodding.

 **Outside the building, Ruby approached and saw the unconscious guard. She gasped and pulled out her Scroll, dialing for her weapon locker which crashed into the courtyard and opened to reveal Crescent Rose.**

 **Inside the building, the elevator doors opened to show Cinder examining a Scroll. The two guards were knocked out. "** **Oh! That's handy."** **She said as she pocketed the Scroll and walked out of the elevator and toward the control consoles nearby.**

 _ **"A party guest is leaving."**_ **Emerald warned via earbud.**

 **Cinder sighed. "Which one?" She asked.**

 **Emerald was shown to be dancing with Mercury. "** **Ironwood." She answered.**

"Good. Maybe the general will notice or find something wrong and come to help Ruby." Cap said hopefully.

"He must. I doubt they'd show it if it wasn't important." Tony said.

 **Ironwood was shown to be walking out the door as Ozpin gave his send-off.** **"I guess the general's had enough fun for one night."** **Mercury said, off-screen.** **Random code appearing on a computer screen was shown to change into a Queen chess piece.** _ **"Should we intervene?"**_ **Mercury asked via earbud.**

 **The other monitors in the room lit up.** **"No... we're done here." Cinder told them. As s** **he started to walk away, she noticed the elevator doors opening. Ruby stepped out of the elevator slowly, brandishing her weapon.**

"Aha! Wrong, villain! Your time here has just begun!" Thor cheered.

"Get her Ruby, you can do it!" Spider-Man cried out.

 **"Hello?" Ruby asked, before she stumbled due to her high-heeled shoes. "Is anyone there? Hello?" She asked.** **Cinder rose from her hiding place and stepped out toward Ruby.** **"Excuse me? You know, it's not a masquerade party, so why don't you take off that-!" Ruby started, before she was attacked.  
**

"Oh, man. She's gonna have a tough time fighting in those heels." Clint said worriedly.

"That's why the first thing I always did if I was in a fight and was wearing heels was to kick them off. Usually at an enemy." Widow said.

 **Cinder used Dust to form glass crystals and blasted them at Ruby with Aura. Ruby twirled Crescent Rose to block the shards and retaliated by firing rounds at Cinder. Cinder blocked these rounds just as easily as she did during their first encounter. Cinder then summoned her weapons, Midnight.**

"Darn it! Ruby can't seem to do any damage!" Tony snapped.

"I doubt Cinder's even taking this seriously. That's a good thing for Ruby, though. She can at least defend herself for now." Cap said.

 **Ruby whipped Crescent Rose around and fired off a round-going upward and somersaulting down for an attack. Cinder dodged and formed a bow. She fired three arrows that exploded on impact with the floor, Ruby got pushed back and stumbled on her heels, but managed to hold her ground. Ironwood suddenly arrived at their floor in the elevator.**  
 **Ruby was visibly glad to see him until she noticed that Cinder had disappeared.**

"No!" The Avengers shouted.

"Dang, she's fast." Hulk grumbled.

"Oh, this isn't gonna look good for Ruby." Peter said worriedly.

"Right. Now it looks like she's the perpetrator." Widow said.

"Cinder is a coward! Running from battle in such a manner!" Thor snapped.

 **In a hallway, Cinder discarded two bracelets and her mask to change from her stealth suit into a black dress and entered the dance. Two guards following her crushed the bracelets underfoot and were visibly confused at the sight of the crowded dance hall.  
**

"I hate to admit it, but that was a clever and effective way of getting out of her costume so she doesn't look suspicious." Widow said.

"That must have been what she was sewing in one of the earlier episodes. Man, what I'd give for some of their Dust to try out." Tony deduced.

 **Cinder tapped Emerald's shoulder. "** **Oh, may I cut in?" She asked.**

 **Emerald stepped aside.** **"Of course." She complied and** **left as Cinder began to dance with Mercury.**

 **"And how's your night been?" Mercury asked.**

 **"Mmm... a little more exciting than expected." Cinder answered.  
**

 **"Should we be worried?" He questioned.**

 **"Hardly... They'll be scratching their heads long after we finished what we came here for." Cinder assured him.  
**

"So they're there to get something, but what?" Cap wondered.

"Man, if only we could somehow tell team RWBY about what's going on here." Spider-Man said wishfully.

 **"So then what now?" Mercury asked once more.**

 **"Enjoy the rest of the night. After all, it is a party." Cinder told them.**

 **The camera panned away from the two showing the rest of the party. Jaune and Pyrrha were sitting at a table, Sun and Blake were dancing, there was a squad of red and yellow soldiers out side and Ironwood was shown approaching Ruby before one last shot of the Queen chess piece appeared on the computer screen and the clock chimed midnight.**

* * *

The Avengers were all angered by this ending. "This is really bad." Peter said worriedly.

"Yeah. Cinder just got away scot-free and made it look like Ruby was the intruder. That's low even for her." Clint growled.

"So, what can we assume she uploaded on all those computers?" Cap asked.

"Could be any number of things, really. It could steal information, outright delete it or even take control of their systems." Natasha explained.

"Based on the red queen image there, we can say for certain that it's some kind of virus and it's definitely not good." Tony said.

"The way Cinder and her cohorts do battle irks me. Combat is meant to be fought face-to-face honorably, not sneaking behind your enemy's back and striking when they are unaware." Thor snapped.

"They've got some kind of plan. And whatever it is, it's big." Hulk said.

"Well, there's only one way to find out what it is." Widow said, playing the next episode.

* * *

 **A/N: I hope you all enjoyed this chapter. Let me know what you think in the comments.**

 **Also, people are still asking about The Avengers watching MHA. I placed the story up for adoption, then took it down after the person I was giving it to had all the scripts and could post it, but then they never did and I haven't heard from them since. Another person offered to adopt it, but again, after I gave them the full script, they said they'd post it a few times, but never did and won't contact me, so at this point, it's out of my hands. It's still up on my Quotev account: Katana Blade. Just google Avengers watch Hero Academia and it should be the first result. If you want to adopt it, you can copy/paste it from there, so I don't have to send it to you in broken up PM's.  
**

 **But again, enjoy this story and keep an eye out for the next chapter.**


	24. Episode 18: Field Trip

"Ruby can't be in trouble for this! She tried to stop Cinder!" Peter said worriedly.

"I'm sure Ozpin and Glynda will clear up any confusion, Spider-Man. She'll be fine." Cap assured him.

"She better be." Hulk growled.

"Only one way to find out." Widow said, playing the episode.

* * *

 **The scene began outside Beacon Academy the next day following the Beacon Dance, then cut to inside Ozpin's office, with General Ironwood and Glynda keeping the headmaster company.**

 **"They were here... Ozpin, they were here!"** **Ironwood said, raising his voice,** **angrily slamming his fist against Ozpin's desk.**

 **"We're very much aware of that! Thank you, James." Glynda snapped back.**

 **"Fantastic! You're aware! Now are we going to do something about it or should we just stay the course and continue to ignore what's right in front of us?!" He demanded.  
**

"Your biggest problem should be figuring out what they've already done. Plan a counterattack later." Widow said.

"I'd almost say he was worse than Truman Marsh, but that turned out to be Ultron. Ironwood's not that bad YET." Tony said.

"Let's hope he never gets quite that bad." Cap said.

 **An alert sound played, signifying that someone had arrived on the elevator. "** **Come in." Ozpin permitted.  
**

 **Ruby stepped out and into the room. "** **Sorry it took so long. Someone accidentally hit all the buttons on the elevator on the way up here." She explained, pausing before quickly elaborating. "It wasn't me." She threw in.**

The Avengers all chuckled at this. "Oh, Ruby. Dragging out the inevitable just makes it worse. It's never as bad as you think it will be." Peter said.

"Yep. Gotta face the music at some point. Might as well be sooner rather than later." Hawkeye agreed.

 **"Thank you for coming, Ruby. How are you feeling?" Ozpin asked.**

 **"Okay, I guess. I'd feel better if my bad-guy-catching record wasn't O-for-three." Ruby stated, nervously joking, holding up three fingers. The adults** **stared silently at her. "** **Okay, so that's the tone we're going for, got it." Ruby said with a nod.**

 **"Ruby, I feel it's appropriate to let you know that I think what you did last night is exactly what being a Huntress is all about. You recognized a threat. You took action. And you did the very best you could." Ironwood praised, putting a hand on her shoulder.  
**

"Perhaps were too harsh on the general. Not only does he not blame Ruby, but he also praises her heroism." Thor said.

"She keeps on proving she deserved to skip two years." Hulk praised as well.

 **"Thank you, sir." Ruby said gratefully.  
**

 **"Now, the general here has already informed us of the events that... transpired last night, but now that you've rested, we were wondering if you had anything to add." Ozpin explained.**

 **"Was anyone else with her? Did she look familiar to you at all?" Goodwitch asked.**

 **Ruby: I... I don't know. She was wearing a mask and she never said anything to me. But I know she fought with glass. I don't think that was her Semblance, though. Her clothing lit up whenever she attacked." Ruby answered.**

"Oh, that was glass? I thought it was ice." Cap said.

"I think we all made that mistake." Tony said, the other Avengers nodding.

 **"Save for the glass, that sounds like the woman I fought the night we met Ruby." Glynda deduced.**

 **"Embedding Dust into clothing is an age-old technique. It could have been anyone." Ironwood dismissed.  
**

 **"Wait. You think this girl is connected to Torchwick and the White Fang?" Ruby asked.**

 **"It's possible. But we still lack the required evidence to link the two together." Ozpin explained.**

 **Ruby suddenly got an idea. "Actually, I... I think I remember her saying something about a hideout, or something, in the southeast. Just outside the Kingdom." She informed them.**

"Not the most subtle way to tip them off." Peter said.

"She's also contradicting herself. That may lead them to question her and get her back in trouble if they believe they can't trust her word." Widow said.

 **"Interesting." Ozpin said with a smile.**

 **"I thought you said the intruder never—" Glynda started, before Ozpin cut her off.**

 **"Thank you for your cooperation, Ruby. Why don't you go and spend some time with your team? You have a big day ahead of you." Ozpin suggested.**

 **"Any time."** **Ruby said, leaving.**

"Whew, good. She's not in trouble." Hulk said, relieved.

"Yeah, Ozpin's definitely playing favorites with her." Clint said.

 **"And Miss Rose, please try and be... discreet about this matter." Ozpin instructed.**

 **"Yes sir." Ruby acknowledged.**

"For some reason, I feel she will not be discreet as she was instructed to be." Thor said.

* * *

 **The door to Team RWBY's dorm room opened, revealing Yang, Blake and Weiss inside. The three zoomed over to the person in the door, who was revealed to be Ruby.**

 **"What happened?" Yang asked worriedly.**

 **"Uh... well, um..." Ruby stammered, laughing nervously.**

"What is the phrase you mortals use? Ah, yes: called it!" Thor said.

"Well, when you're right, you're right, Blondie." Tony said.

* * *

 **The scene cut back to Ozpin's office. "** **Well there we have it. We send as many troops as we can to the southeast, find out exactly what's going on, and eradicate any forces that stand in our way." Ironwood announced his plan.**

"Not a good idea. Even if Cinder didn't have some form of eyes or ears on the inside, mobilizing a massive force like the general suggests would be way too noticeable. It would cause the citizens of Vale to become uneasy and Roman's forces would see them coming and disperse before they ever reached them." Widow theorized.

 **Glynda growled in frustration. "Why must your answer to everything involve a triumphant display of military bravado!? You treat every situation like it's a contest of measuring di—!" She started, but was cut off by Ozpin.**

 **"Glynda!" Ozpin scolded.**

"Language!" Cap snapped.

"Yeah! You guys are supposed to be teachers! Keep it clean!" Clint said.

 **"Well, he does." Glynda reaffirmed.**

 **"She's right. As much as I too would love to end this situation once and for all, we must remember that this may go beyond Vale. Beyond Beacon. And if this truly is part of some master plan for which we know not the final move, we mustn't be so bold. Nor can we risk the spread of panic." Ozpin explained.**

"Just like you were saying." Hulk said to Natasha, who nodded.

"Yeah. Way to go, Nat. You know how to work the people." Spider-Man praised.

 **"I have served you faithfully for years... but if you mean to tell me that your plan is to really hold the defenses, and wait—!" Ironwood started.**

 **Ozpin abruptly stood from his chair. "It is not! You're a general, James. So tell me, when you prepare to go to war, which do you send in first? The flag bearers, or the scouts?" He asked.**

"Wise words from the dear professor." Thor complimented.

"He's probably seen things like this before and knows the best course of action." Cap said.

* * *

 **The scene cut back to Team RWBY's dorm. "** **That was a risky move." Weiss berated her leader.  
**

 **"No, I think you handled it well." Blake reassured her leader.**

 **"I hope so." Ruby said worriedly.**

"I know so. You did the best you could, Rubes. That's all anyone can ask for." Peter said.

"Aww, that's real sweet, Spidey. I'm sure your girlfriend would love hearing you say that." Tony said.

"She's not my girlfriend!" Peter shouted.

 **"I'm sure everything will be alright, Ruby." Yang said supportively, before appearing to remember something. "Oh, I know what will cheer you up!" She said as** **she** **produced a cylindrical package the length of her forearm.**

 **"What's that?" Ruby asked.**

 **"I don't know yet. Dad sent it to us. I thought we could open it together!" Yang explained.**

 **"Ooooh! Something from home!"** **Ruby squealed excitedly and zoomed over to Yang, wrapped herself around her sister and tried to take the cylinder from her.**

All the Avengers chuckled at this moment.

 **The package opened and another cylinder, hairy and black, fell out onto the floor and started to shake. The object suddenly transformed into a corgi.**

"A DOG?!" They all shouted.

"How did it fit in that little cylinder?!" Hulk asked, shocked.

"There's no way it could have! It definitely should NOT have fit in there!" Widow said in disbelief.

"Well, clearly it did! We just saw it!" Clint countered, pointing to the screen.

 **Team RWBY leaned in, staring at it.** **The animal barked twice. While Weiss and Blake continued to react with great shock, Ruby and Yang reacted excitedly, with Ruby jumping in the air. "Zwei!" Ruby shouted the dog's name cheerfully, posing while still airborne, depicted among a changing blue background and four shots of the dog, two full body shots and two headshots.**

"Strange transportation of the dog aside, that was a rather cute moment from young Ruby. The bond between a child and their pet is truly a thing of beauty." Thor said, planning to spend some quality time with Bilgy after this.

"She's sure looks happy to see the little guy." Steve agreed.

 **"He sent a dog?" Blake asked with a hint of panic and fear in her voice.  
**

 **"In the mail?" Weiss asked incredulously.  
**

 **"Oh, he does stuff like this all the time!" Yang assured them as Ruby was holding the dog in her arms and giggling as he licked at her.  
**

 **Blake disappeared, shown now to be on Ruby's bunk. "** **Your father or your dog?" She asked.**

"Wow, Blake REALLY isn't trying to hide her cat side at this point." Clint said.

"Why would you hide from that?! That's the cutest little thing ever!" Peter cooed.

 **"Are you telling me that this mangy..." Weiss started furiously, as Zwei turned his head to look and smile at her. "drooling..." She continued, her voice wavering slightly as she looked into his adorable eyes. "mutt... is going to wiv wif us foweva? Oh, yes he is, yes he is! Oh, isn't he adorable!" She said, doing a complete 180 with a huge smile on her face as she petted the corgi while baby talking to him.  
**

"Wow. He even melted the ice queen's heart of stone." Tony said.

"Some people just can't resist cute things." Widow said, trying to resist her urge to pet and baby talk the dog as well.

 **"Please keep it away from my belongings." Blake said, now sitting on the far end of the bed from her team and the dog.  
**

 **"Would all first-year students please report to the amphitheater?"** **Glynda requested over the intercom.**

 **"Well, we can't exactly leave him here while we're gone for the week." Weiss said.**

 **Ruby set Zwei down and he walked over to Blake, still on the top bunk and barked at her. In a very cat-like manner, Blake stretched out and raised a hand like a cat would raise its paw in preparation to claw its foe.  
**

"No! Don't claw the puppy!" Hulk yelled worriedly.

"She's really gonna have to work on that. Especially if the dog's gonna live with them for the foreseeable future." Cap said.

 **"Look, there's a letter!" Yang said, picking it up. "'Dear girls, I've got to leave the island for a few days, so I'm sending Zwei to you to take care of. Enclosed is all the food you should need. Love you both, Taiyang.'"She read. At the mention of food, Zwei ended his attempts to reach Blake and sped over to Yang. The blonde brawler then tipped the parcel upside-down, causing** **dozens of cans of dog food to spill out of the small package, piling up around Zwei.**

 **"What is he supposed to do with that?" Weiss asked.**

 **A can opener fell from the package, bouncing off Zwei's head. "** **Well, that settles it! Come on girls, Zwei will be here when we get back!" Yang said, walking away.**

"Did... Yang just imply that a Corgi can use a can opener?" Peter asked.

"Hey, he can fit inside a tiny parcel like that, with a ridiculous amount of dog food and that can opener, so why not?" Clint dismissed.

 **"Oh, I'll miss you so much, we're going to be best friends, I can't wait to see you."** ** **Weiss told Zwei as she left,** her speech deteriorating into incomprehensible baby talk. **

**Meanwhile, Blake jumped down from Ruby's bunk and jumped across the table, avoiding Zwei.** **Ruby stared at Zwei for a moment, before smiling sneakily.**

"Oh, no. That's never a good look." Widow said.

"She's DEFINITELY got something up her sleeves." Tony agreed.

* * *

 **Ruby was wearing a large backpack as she entered the auditorium with other students. She then put it down next to other students luggage before rejoining her team, who were standing in front of Team JNPR.**

"Or, in her backpack, it seems like." Tony said, instantly figuring it out.

"At least its spacier than that parcel." Hulk said.

 **"Quiet! Quiet please. Professor Ozpin would like to share a few words before we begin." Glynda announced, before stepping away from the microphone for Ozpin to deliver his speech.  
**

 **"Today we stand together, united. Mistral. Atlas. Vacuo. Vale. The four Kingdoms of Remnant. On this day, nearly eighty years ago, the largest war in recorded history came to an end. It was a war of ignorance, of greed, and of oppression. A war that was about much more than where borders fell or who traded with whom, but about the very idea of individualism itself." Ozpin began.  
**

"What could have happened?" Cap wondered.

"I don't know, but it sounds as important as any war we've ever had." Widow said.

 **"We fought for countless reasons, one of which being the destruction of all forms of art and self-expression. And as you are well aware, that was something many could not stand for. As a result, those who opposed this tyranny began naming their children after one of the core aspects of art itself: color." He explained, the screen going to Ruby when it mentioned children being named after colors.**

"Art and self-expression are beautiful! They're not something that should ever be taken!" Spider-Man snapped.

"Well, clearly the right side won. And Remnant is a better place for it." Clint said, surprisingly sincere for him.

"Naming your kids after colors... I like it." Hulk said.

 **"It was their way to demonstrate that not only would they refuse to tolerate this oppression, but neither were the generations to come. And it was a trend that is held to this very day. We encourage individuality, expressionism, and unity through diversity. As I have said, today we stand together, united. But this bond cannot exist without effort. Which is why today, while the rest of the world celebrates peace, Huntsmen and Huntresses will work to uphold it." He told them all.**

"Indeed. It is important to remind everyone why you have peace and prosperity, but you must also work to ensure they will have it for generations to come." Thor agreed.

"So, our job in a nutshell." Tony said.

 **"As first year students, you will be tasked with shadowing a professional Huntsman or Huntress on a mission. Some of you may be taken out of the Kingdom for several days. Others may work within the walls for the rest of the week. But no matter which path you choose, remember to be safe, remember your training, and remember to do your very best." Ozpin finished his wise, inspiring speech, then** **stepped away as the students all began to file out of the amphitheater.**

"A powerful speech. I'm sure the students can take that to heart and grow from those words." Cap said.

"Yeah. I know Ruby and her team will do their best. They always do." Peter said.

 **"This is perfect! All we have to do is shadow a Huntsman working in the southeast!" Ruby said.**

 **"Yeah! We'll follow them around by day and give them the slip by night!" Yang agreed.**

 **"Let's check 'search and destroy'!" Weiss suggested.**

"Always the mission I'd go for." Hawkeye said.

"Yeah!" Hulk roared in agreement.

"Indeed. With the Grimm being so beast-like, it's like any proper hunt in Asgard!" Thor agreed.

 **Team RWBY approached a hologram screen. "** **Here we go! Quadrant 5 needs Grimm cleared out!" Ruby read.**

 **"Well, it's in the southeast!" Blake said, satisfied with the terms.**

 **"Sounds perfect!" Yang agreed.  
**

 **Ruby selected it and typed in her team name. However, the screen said that first years were not allowed to take this mission. "** **Wonderful!" Weiss groaned.**

 **"Any other ideas?" Blake asked.**

 **"We mail ourselves there!" Ruby suggested.  
**

"What is it with this family and mailing living things?" Peter asked.

"Besides being completely ridiculous, there should be no one near an area overrun with Grimm. That's probably half the reason Torchwick and the White Fang are out there." Widow criticized.

 **"Well, that's one option."** **Ozpin said, off-screen, before he** **suddenly appeared. "** **Unfortunately, we determined that the concentration of Grimm was too extreme for first-year students. It seems that particular region is rather popular. In fact, I have the sneaking suspicion that you four will make your way there no matter which job you choose." He told them, clearly aware of their plan.**

 **Weiss, Blake and Yang glared at Ruby, who nervously rubbed her head. "** **Whatever makes you say that?" The young leader asked.  
**

"Busted..." Clint and Peter said together.

 **"I'm still curious how you all found yourself at the docks last semester. I'm interested to know how you really learned about a hideout in the southeast. And I certainly wonder why witnesses reported seeing robots and rose petals in a dance club some time ago." Ozpin recounted all of the young team's covert operations.**

 **"Um... well..." Ruby struggled to answer.**

 **"I doubt I'll ever find the exact answers I'm looking for. So how about this: instead of waiting for you all to break the rules, why don't we just bend them?"** **Ozpin offered and selected some things on his scroll. The hologram screen then mades a noise and accepted team RWBY's request to take the mission..**

 **"We won't let you down. Thank you, professor." Ruby said gratefully.**

"He's pretty cool. Helping Team RWBY from behind the scenes like that." Tony said.

"They all want the same thing in the end." Cap reminded him.

 **"Do not thank me for this. Teamwork and persistence have carried you far. But you must understand, the things that await you beyond the protection of the Kingdom will not care. Stay close to your Huntsman at all times, and do exactly as he says. He will be leading you on this mission, and he can have you sent back to Beacon, if he finds your skills to be unsatisfactory. Good luck." Ozpin told them.**

"Not exactly raising morale with that speech." Thor said unsurely.

"But he is telling them what they needed to know." Widow said.

* * *

 **Team RWBY left the auditorium and were on their way to the airship that would take them to Quadrant 5. "** **That wasn't exactly uplifting." Yang grumbled.**

 **"But it's the truth." Blake told her.**

 **"It's gonna to be tough, but I know we can do it!" Ruby said encouragingly.**

"Exactly. With teamwork and belief in your own abilities, you can accomplish anything." Cap said.

"Man. It's like eveything you say should be written down in a book of greatness." Peter said, inspired by Cap's words.

 **A student ran past the team. "** **Hey! Team CFVY is back!" He announced** **as** **Beacon students gathered around to witness the return of Team CFVY. Blake went up to the familiar face of Velvet Scarlatina.**

"Hey! She's the bunny girl Cardin bullied." Hulk said.

"I was wondering if we'd see her again. And it would appear she is team RWBY's senior! Perhaps even more powerful than them!" Thor realized, impressed.

 **"Velvet? Are you okay?" Blake asked.**

 **"I'm fine. I had Yatsuhashi to look out for me." Velvet assured them, gesturing to a large boy with a massive sword on his back behind her.  
**

 **"Your mission was supposed to end a week ago! What happened?" Weiss asked.**

 **"Nothing happened. It was just ... there were just so many..." She said, looking down at the ground and recounting the horrors she faced with her team. She then looked up and noticed Team RWBY's worried expressions. "Oh, but don't worry. You first-years are just shadowing Huntsmen, so you should be fine." She reassured them.  
**

"So, the Grimm population is getting out of control. That can't be good." Clint said.

"No. If they get too out of control, then if they ever wander close enough to the city to attack, no amount of military force can overwhelm them." Widow theorized.

 **"Right." Yang said unsurely.**

 **"I should go. Be safe, okay?" Velvet told them.**

 **"We can do this. We've never backed down before, and we're not going to start now." Ruby gave a small, but inspiring speech.  
**

 **"Right." Blake agreed.**

 **"Besides, it won't only be us out there! We'll be fighting alongside a genuine Huntsman!" Ruby added excitedly.**

"Nice. We'll finally see what we see the difference between team RWBY and an actual Huntsman, to see how powerful we can expect them to get and how much they still have to grow." Tony said.

"Yeah. But even when they do become Huntsman, I bet they'll keep getting better and stronger after that. If they push themselves, I'm sure they can push past any limit." Peter agreed.

 **"Yeah!" Yang said eagerly.  
**

 **The scene immediately cut to Team RWBY staring with various stunned expressions, having just discovered who they will be shadowing.** **"Why, hello girls! Who's ready to fight for their lives?" Professor Oobleck asked them, before everything went black.**

* * *

"Oh, come on! Not the nerdy history teacher!" Clint groaned.

"I have to agree. Wise as he appears to be, Professor Oobleck does not seem to be the combative type." Thor agreed.

"Let's not judge a book by its cover, guys. You wouldn't think Ruby and Weiss could fight by looking at them, but they've taken down dozens of Grimm and that huge suit of armor." Cap reminded them.

"And besides, he probably has tons of experience that puts him at least on par with Team RWBY, I'd bet." Peter said.

"Let's just watch and see." Hulk said impatiently.

"Just what I was thinking, big guy." Widow said, playing the next episode.


	25. Episode 19: Search and Destroy

"So, they've got the scrawny professor who looks like he's never fought a day in his life to go on a dangerous mission hunting down a terrorist organization?" Hawkeye asked incredulously.

"Let's not underestimate him, Clint. You wouldn't think Ruby or Weiss would be able to fight either, but we know now that's the farthest thing from the truth." Cap said.

"Besides, it's better him than the fat, arrogant professor who winks at the girls." Widow said.

"Well, only one way to find out what happens." Tony said, playing the episode.

* * *

 **The first thing to be shown was the still-horrified faces of Team RWBY upon seeing their guide for the week. "** **Professor Oobleck?"**

 **Oobleck spoke fast, per the norm, as he paced in front of the students. "Yes, I'm afraid those bags won't be necessary, girls, seeing as you've opted to shadow a Huntsman on what is now essentially a reconnaissance mission. I can assure you, we will not be establishing a single base of operations; rather, we will be traversing several miles of hazardous wasteland and making camp in any defendable locations we may stumble upon. I packed all of our essentials myself, plotted our air course, and readied the airship. And..." He explained, but then stopped and zoomd up right to Weiss' face. "It's Doctor Oobleck. I didn't earn the PhD for fun, thank you very much!" He corrected her and quickly backed away.**

"Nope! Not a real doctor!" Tony said with a smirk.

"Is that a real thing?" Cap asked.

"Honestly, no clue, I've heard arguments for both sides. I just stopped caring." Clint said.

 **Weiss looked over at Blake, who was equally disturbed. "** **Uh..." She started, unsure of what to say.**

 **"Come now, children; according to my schedule, we are already three minutes behind!" He started, then, as an afterthought to clarify "...schedule!" He finished and zipped off to the airship docked farther ahead in a second.**

"You don't say?" Hulk asked sarcastically.

"Yeah, I thought they behind coffee time." Peter said.

 **"Well, alright, then! Looks like we're going to save the world with Doctor Oobleck-"** ** **Ruby started positive and upbeat, but heard herself and couldn't keep the high morale.** "-Okay, yeah when you say it out loud it sounds worse." ****She admitted, becoming as depressed as her team.**

 **"Save the world?" Nora asked off-screen.** **Ruby's team turned around to see Nora and the rest of Team JNPR approaching.** **"You're going on world-saving missions without us? I'm hurt... sad!" She said dramatically, before her stomach rumbled ."Maybe a little hungry? That last one's not your fault, though, Ren..." She said with a glare to her partner.** **Ren, for his part, simply crossed his arms and turned away.**

"A warrior should never enter the battlefield on an empty stomach! One must always be properly fed and energized for any occasion!" Thor said.

"I'm just impressed that for once, Ren isn't calming her down or telling her what she wants to hear." Widow noted.

 **"Sounds exciting. Where ya going?" Jaune asked.  
**

 **"Oh, just outside the kingdom..." Ruby answered.**

 **"Hey! So are we!" Nora told them.**

 **"Ren and Nora wanted to shadow the sheriff of a nearby village." Pyrrha explained.  
**

 **"We set out tomorrow." Ren added.**

"Oh, okay then. It's okay, Thor. They're not going into battle YET." Peter said.

"Still, he has a point. It's never good to miss breakfast. The most important meal of the day." Steve said.

 **"Then you can party with us tonight!" Neptune said off-screen, before and Sun approached the two groups. "We're shadowing a crime specialist. All inner-city detective stuff. We get junior badges." He explained.** **Jaune was awestruck.**

 **"We normally go to the city with you guys, which means stuff's always exploding and junk, so we thought this might be a better way to check out the kingdom when it's, you know... normal." Sun told the girls.**

"Because you did SO much the first time around." Widow said sarcastically.

"Yeah. I hope they enjoyed those noodles while team RWBY was fighting for their lives." Clint agreed snarkily.

 **"Well-" Ruby started, but** **Oobleck appeared from the airship to call to Team RWBY, who were embarrassed.**

 **"Four minutes, ladies!" He called out, before he went back inside as their friends smiled awkwardly at the girls.**

 **"Well, uh..." Ruby started, throwing a thumbs-up. "Wish us luck!" She finished. With that, the friends disbanded, either back to Beacon Academy or towards their mission.**

"Alright! Action time!" Hulk cheered.

"Indeed! Surely, once this mission is complete, team RWBY shall be celebrated as heroes!" Thor boomed.

* * *

 **Cut to the airship flying over buildings and streets amid deafening turbines. "** **I guess I just never saw you as much of a fighter." Yang said to Oobleck.**

 **"I admit I fancy myself more of an intellectual, but I can assure you, as a Huntsman, I've had my fair share of tussles." The teacher assured his students.**

 **"Like the mushroom?"** **Ruby asked, tilting her head in confusion.**

 **Blake leaned over. "Those are truffles." She** (and a chuckling Tony) **said.**

 **"Like the sprout?"** **Ruby asked again, still scratching her head in befuddlement.**

 **Yang leaned over this time. "Those are Brussels." She** (and Widow, shaking her head) **said.**

"How does she not know what those are and what a tussle is?" Clint asked.

"Looks like your girlfriend is a little clueless, buddy." Hulk said to Spider-Man, getting a "Hey!" from the young hero.

 **"Besides, given my expertise in the field of history as well as my dabblings in the archaeological surveys, our dear headmaster saw fit to assign me to this particular... assignment!" Oobleck continued.**

 **"What does history have to do with this?" Weiss asked.**

 **Oobleck turned sharply on Weiss. "Why, what a preposterous question, you silly girl! Why, history is the backbone of our very society! And the liver! Probably the kidneys, if I were to wager." He explained, pondering that last bit.**

"Then science gets to be the brain and heart." Tony said.

"Yes, Tony. We all know science is great. Let's not have an argument about which school subject is best, though." Cap told the genius, before smirking. "History would definitely win, anyway." He said.

 **"And that means..?" Weiss questioned.**

 **"The southeast quadrant outside of Vale is home to wild forests and deep caves, but it is also the location to one of the kingdom's greatest failures!" Oobleck explained.  
**

 **"Mountain Glenn." Ruby answered.**

 **"That's right! It was an expansion of Vale... but in the end it was overrun by Grimm and fenced off from the rest of the city." Yang elaborated from where her sister started.**

"Wow. That's pretty grim. No pun intended." Peter said, a bit disturbed.

"Indeed. Sadly, the expansion of territories is always a difficult one, often with drastic consequences." Thor said sadly.

 **"Correct! And now it stands abandoned as a dark reminder." Oobleck said solemnly.**

 **"And a likely place for a hideout." Blake caught on.**

 **Oobleck adjusted his glasses and smiled. "Precisely!" He confirmed.**

"On the plus side, it's a good place for them to look for Torchwick and the White Fang." Widow said.

"Yep. And a good chance for the girls to show the doctor what they're made of." Clint said.

* * *

 **The airship came in over a spot of street amidst the ruined buildings and structures of the ruined area. It hovered right above the ground as Yang, Blake, Oobleck, Weiss and Ruby all jumped out of the craft with weapons drawn, minus the doctor, who simply held his coffee canister, before the ship flew away from the destruction.**

 **Oobleck called the attention of RWBY. "Ladies! You still may be students, but as of this moment, your first mission as Huntresses has begun! From this point forward, you need to do exactly as I say! Do you understand?" He demanded. The girls nodded, but he suddenly looked at Ruby, startling her. "Ruby! I thought I told you to leave all of your bags back at school." He said.  
**

 **"But, uh, you hadn't told us to listen to you yet. So I didn't." Ruby tried to make an excuse.  
**

"Great excuse, Ruby! He has to fall for that." Peter said.

"Of course you like that answer. It sounds like something you'd say. That just proves you're made for each other." Tony said, causing Spider-Man to blush and pout.

 **"She's not wrong..."** ** **Oobleck said to himself, before looking back at the team leader.** "Very well, Ruby; leave your bag here, we can pick it up upon our return." He told her. **

**"But I, well uh-" Ruby stammered.**

 **"Young lady, what in the world could you possibly have in that bag that could be so important to bring it with..." He demanded, but stopped as the bag's zipper opened and out popped Zwei's head, causing everyone to stare at the uninvited guest.**

"Busted." Clint and Hulk said together.

"The battlefield is no place to bring a pet, Ruby." Cap lectured.

"You know she can't hear you, right?" Clint asked, to which Steve rolled his eyes.

 **"Get back in the bag."** **Ruby whispered to her dog through the side of her mouth.** **Zwei merely barked in response.**

 **"We're here to investigate an abandoned urban jungle teeming with death and hostility, and you brought... a dog?" Oobleck questioned seriously.**

 **"I, uh..." Ruby said nervously.**

 **"Genius!" Oobleck suddenly declared. He backed away long enough for Ruby to give a confused shrug before speeding past and snatching the pet away from Ruby, who tumbled to the ground as Oobleck spun Zwei in the air. "Canines are historically known for their perceptive nose and heightened sense of sound, making them excellent companions for a hunt such as ours!" He explained as Zwei barks happily in his hands.**

The Avengers were all stunned at this. "Well... I certainly wasn't expecting that." Tony said.

"He has a point, though. Dogs are very useful for keeping guard or tracking down leads. It's why we still use them today." Widow said.

"Plus, he's so cute!" Hulk said.

 **Ruby was stunned for the unexpected reaction, before recovering with a smirk."I'm a genius!" She stated proudly.** **Weiss and Yang both facepalmed at their grinning leader.**

Spider-Man laughed at this. "Congrats, Spider! Your girlfriend's a genius just like you!" Clint teased.

"She's not my girlfriend!" He snapped.

 **"So, what are your orders, Doctor?" Blake asked.**

 **"Ah, yes, straight to the chase; I like it!" Oobleck said and suddenly let go of Zwei, suspended in the air for less than a second before dropping down, to put his hands behind his back for a serious pose. "As you've been informed, the southeast area has been marked as a recent hot spot for Grimm activity. Now, there are several possible explanations for this behavior, one of which being... Grimm." He started, before apparently repeating himself.**

"Seriously?" Cap asked.

"This man is a teacher at the best school on the planet?" Tony questioned.

 **Ruby was just as confused as her teammates for the redundancy. "Uh, what?" She asked.**

 **"Grimm. A creature of Grimm approximately one hundred yards from us at this very moment." Oobleck explained.  
**

"Oh. I see. That makes much more sense." Thor said.

"Yeah. I thought the coffee got to his brain for a minute." Hulk agreed.

 **"What?!" Yang demanded as s** **he turned to look like the other girls at the lone Beowolf wandering into the street, joining them in unleashing their weapons.**

 **"Stop!" Oobleck ordered.  
**

 **"Huh?" Blake asked, l** **owering her Gambol Shroud like everyone else to listen.**

 **"There are a number of reasons why Grimm will congregate in this particular area, the most likely of which will be their attraction to negativity: sadness, envy, loneliness, hatred. All qualities that are likely held by our hidden group harboring ill intent." Oobleck explained.**

"That's right. I think we heard before that the Grimm were drawn to negative emotions." Cap said.

"Then, yeah, I'd say a bunch of angry terrorists would be giving off a lot of those." Peter said with a nod.

 **"So... What now?" Ruby asked.**

 **"We wait. We track. If this specimen leads us to its pack, that pack may subsequently lead us to our prey." Oobleck explained.**

"Smart. If you can't find a member of the group you're hunting, then look for something that could lead you to them. Tracking 101." Widow said, the other Avengers nodding, but having nothing to add.

 **"How long do we wait?" Blake asked.**

 **"It's uncertain. Hours, days, weeks. Why, lone Grimm have been known to stay isolated from the pack for months - and there's the whole pack." Oobleck began to explain, but then h** **is sudden realization was true: Five Beowolves were already following the first.**

"Well, so much for that. Good idea while it lasted, though." Clint said. Much like with Widow, the Avengers could only nod.

 **"What?" Weiss asked.**

 **"And now they've seen us."** **Oobleck continued to state the obvious.**

 **"What?!" Weiss asked louder.**

 **"AND NOW THEY'VE SEEN US!"** **Oobleck shouted, coming right up to Weiss' ear.**

"Jeez, buddy! She's just making sure she heard right! No need to make her go deaf." Tony said.

"Indeed. A loss of hearing would be quite detrimental to her for this mission, especially at the current moment." Thor agreed.

 **"I take it tracking them is out of the question?" Ruby asked.**

 **"An accurate assumption, yes." Oobleck confirmed.**

 **"What's the plan, then?" Yang asked.**

 **The team turned to their teacher as the creatures close in, black bars converging dramatically over the approaching animals.** **"Show me what you're capable of." Oobleck instructed.  
**

"Yeah! Send those puppies to the pound!" Hulk cheered.

"You got this, girls!" Steve said.

 **Ruby swung Crescent Rose to prepare it for shooting. "Cover your ears, Zwei!" She told the corgi.** **The dog did so, curling up into a ball.**

"Yeah! Mow 'em down, Ruby!" Peter cheered.

"That is one smart dog. I may have to think about getting one. Something that can fight back, though, defend itself. Maybe a Rottweiler or something." Tony thought.

 **Black lines raced across the screen as a single Beowolf and smiling Yang ran towards one another, ending with the blonde knocking it out in one fiery punch as they passed. Several stop chasing after the party girl to focus on Blake, who stood and waited with hand on her hilt until one of the enemy swiped at her afterimage, the real deal slicing her would-be attacker in half before slashing through another and cutting down on one more.**

"Surprise, big bad wolf!" Clint laughed.

"No more huffing and puffing for him." Hulk agreed.

 **Behind the Faunus, Weiss ran from several black-coated beasts before jumping in the air and taking one down with Myrtenaster. She dashed towards them with rapier held high and slayed four of them in a straight line until she stopped. A wave of Beowolves were converging on Ruby, but the scythe wielder shot multiple bullets at the oncoming force... while Zwei was busy chasing his own tail** (The Avengers all chuckled at this). **He stopped to watch his owner fire forward and, after a dramatic mid-air stare-off, cut the single remaining Grimm in two.**

"They've all improved a lot." Widow said, impressed.

"Stronger, faster, more skilled. And they've definitely gotten better at working as a team, splitting the pack into smaller groups to make it easier to fight them." Cap analyzed.

 **"Heh. Piece of cake!"** **Ruby said to Oobleck, lifting her weapon.**

 **"Do not celebrate yet, for I am certain this is the first bout of many. Shall we continue?" He asked.**

"Indeed. Overconfidence can ruin any mission, let alone a hunting mission that could last for days." Thor said, everyone nodding.

* * *

 **Continue they did, as it cut to Ruby cutting through the scene change, Blake slicing the previous shift and a random slash going to the view of Oobleck rooting through a plant as Grimm parts fell around him. He was center in the faces of tired Huntresses.**

 **As the newest batch of slain monster corpses started smoking, Oobleck got their attention. "Excellent work, girls! Unfortunately, there doesn't seem to be any signs of criminal operations in this sector. Oh, well! Moving on!" He happily declared.  
**

"You could help, you know!" Spider-Man snapped.

"He's testing them. Yes, they're on a mission to take down a dangerous organization, but this is still officially a school assignment. Oobleck's skills aren't the ones being tested. It's theirs." Cap explained.

 **They followed Oobleck, with Ruby sheathing her scythe and beckoning Zwei to follow. "Hey, Doc, y'know, I was actually looking forward to seeing a 'pro Huntsman' in action. Like, fighting, or at least, helping us fight?" Yang asked irritably.**

 **Oobleck looked at her over his shoulder. "Ah, but I am in action! Scouring the ruins of this once-great city for any signs of irregularity!" He explained, fully turning to the team. "Not every mission is filled with daring and heroism, girls. Sometimes it's just a heightened form of extermination!" He told them, viewing Yang's reluctantly-accepting face. "Remember, this is a job, and you all signed up for it. I do hope you understand that." He gave a serious rebuttal.**

"Indeed. As prince of Asgard, I once believed every mission would be a grand quest, or ending a mighty war. But no, many quests were something even mortals could accomplish." Thor agreed.

"You know you're in a room full of mortals who can all hold their own against you, right?" Tony asked.

"Yeah. Don't be so stuck up, Goldilocks!" Hulk snapped.

 **"Well, yeah..." Yang said, apparently noticing her less-than-enthused tone. "O-Of course!" She reaffirmed,** **trying to sound more resolute with her answer.**

 **"Hmm..."** **Oobleck hummed questioningly, with the camera zoomed in on his opaque glasses.**

"Something tells me he doesn't buy it." Clint said.

"He's probably wondering if they're there for the right reasons." Widow theorized.

* * *

 **The scene changed to the view of another victory for RWBY and their mentor amid the noise of fired shots, but switched again to Oobleck and Yang away from the group.**

 **"Tell me, Yang: Why did you choose this line of work?" Oobleck asked.**

"Don't we already know their reasons?" Tony asked.

"Not really. We know Ruby's reason, but the others never really talked about theirs. Definitely not Yang." Cap said, thinking back and being unable to recall the other girls of the team giving their reasons for fighting.

 **"Huh?" Yang asked, but under Oobleck's gaze, she answered. "Well, to fight monsters and save-" She started.**

 **However, Oobleck cut her off. "No, that is what you do. I want to know why you do it. The honest reason as to why you want to be a Huntress." He elaborated.  
**

 **Yang considered this, then answered. "The honest reason? I'm a thrill-seeker. I want to travel around the world and get wrapped up in as many crazy adventures as I can. And if I help people along the way, then that's even better. It's a win-win, y'know?" She explained.**

Looks like you're daughter's just in it for the fun." Hulk teased Thor.

Thor growled at this, but calmed down and spoke peacefully. "It may not be the most honorable reason, but there is nothing wrong with simply fighting for the thrill. She still seeks to aid others when she can. Her cause is still noble. And she is still not my daughter!" He snapped at the end.

 **"I see." Oobleck said.**

"Uh-oh. I don't think he likes that answer." Peter said. He wasn't really a fan, either. Sure, like Thor said, there's nothing wrong with wanting to have fun, but it was a serious job, it shouldn't be just about having fun. She should be using her skills and gifts more responsibly.

* * *

 **One claw-scratch transition later, Oobleck was sitting on a high windowsill writing in his journal while Weiss fought off Beowolves below.**

 **"And you, Miss Schnee? A girl born into fame and fortune such as yourself certainly doesn't need the extra work. So... why choose this over a cushy job in Atlas?" Oobleck pondered.**

"Gotta admit, sometimes I do think about putting the suit away and sticking with the CEO job instead of the world-saving one." Tony said.

"Then why don't you?" Clint asked.

"Two reasons: One, I'm better at the world-saving job. Two, I made a bunch of weapons that were being used to destroy the world, so I figured I kinda owed it to everyone." Tony explained.

 **After she impaled the last foe on her blade and dropped the body, she turned to him. "It's exactly as you said: I'm a Schnee. I have a legacy of honor to uphold. Once I realized I was capable of fighting, there was no longer a question of what I would do with my life. It was my duty." She explained.**

 **"Interesting."** **Oobleck said, nodding.**

"You shouldn't feel obligated to fight. I can understand Tony's reason, but Weiss didn't do anything wrong that she has to make up for. She should be free to do what she wants." Widow said.

"Still, it's nice she feels she has a duty to help people and should do the right thing." Peter said.

* * *

 **Oobleck jumped down into the next scene, where Blake slashed a door down and released a swarm of small Nevermores from the building, which she back-flipped under before she shot them all with her blade's pistol form.**

 **"And what about you, Blake? You seem to carry yourself with a sense of purpose."** **Oobleck asked as he examined the inside of the doorway.**

"Out of anyone, Blake is sure to have a plan." Cap said.

"She's like me. She made mistakes, now she's trying to fix them." Tony said.

 **"There's too much wrong in this world to just stand by and do nothing. Inequality, corruption... Someone has to stop it." Blake explained.**

"Or that works, too. Same idea as when she was with the White Fang, just a different method." Tony said, everyone nodding.

 **"Very well. How?" He asked.**

 **"I, Uh..."** **She started. But suddenly, she could not answer.**

 **Oobleck hummed to himself, then dashed away, leaving Blake to bow her head in troubled thought.**

"She must not have thought that far ahead." Widow realized.

"Indeed. Coming up with an answer to end fear and hatred is never easy." Thor said.

"Yeah. Just like the mutants and inhumans." Clint agreed.

* * *

 **Later, Ruby was using her weapon in the most practical fashion and lifting a whole turkey on the sharp end of her gun to tease a jumping and flipping Zwei with. That was, until she spotted her teacher watching, quickly sheathing Crescent Rose.**

The Avengers all laughed at this.

 **"Sorry! Uh... Are we ready to keep going?" She asked.**

 **"Nope! I believe that will have to do for today. It's going to be dark soon." He told her, throwing his bag over to Yang, who made a sound when she caught it. "You three, set up camp in that building. Oh, and please do make sure there are no more of those... creatures. Your leader and I are going to secure the perimeter. Come, Ruby." Oobleck instructed.** **They started walking away from the rest of RWBY, who each looked at their leader, knowing what she'll be asked.**

"Looks like it's Ruby's turn now." Hulk said.

"I don't think he needs to. Ruby's never questioned why she wanted to be a Huntress and he reason is one of the strongest. She just wants to do the right thing and protect the ones who can't protect themselves." Peter said seriously, but still with a proud smile.

"Way to stick up for your girlfriend, buddy." Hulk teased.

"Hey! Don't start that again!" Spider-Man snapped.

 **As Oobleck and Ruby rounded the corner of a building, she saw something off-screen that made her look in awe. "Whaaaa..." She started, the camera allowing the audience to see the wide forest stretching below the ruin and in the midst of it, a line of giant elephants with the black and white features of animals of darkness marching through the trees. "What is that? It looks awesome!" Ruby said in awe.  
**

 **"That, my dear girl, is a Grimm." He told her.  
**

The Avengers were shocked at this. "Whoa! That thing makes Fin Fang Foom look small!" Clint said.

"Yeah, maybe time to find a different place to camp, Oobleck." Tony said.

 **Ruby stared at the lumbering mass of monsters in amazement and awe before pulling out her gun. "Let's kill it." She said.**

 **"I'm afraid your sniper rifle will do nothing more than agitate a Grimm of that size." He explained.**

 **"But... What if it attacks us?" She asked.**

 **"Fret not, Ruby; those Goliaths are not concerned with us. Ruby, not every Grimm is mindless, or rather not every Grimm is still mindless. You see, the Grimm you see before you are so powerful, so superior to the Grimm you fought, that they've undoubtedly lived hundreds of years, and in that time between killing humans and attacking our borders, they have done one important thing: They've learned. They've learned that when they attack our borders, they're likely to die, and what we lack in strength, we make up for in will, and that killing one human will only bring more." He explained.**

"So the Grimm are capable of learning. Just when I thought they couldn't get any more dangerous." Cap said.

"On the plus side, at least that's keeping them away for now." Widow said.

 **As he said this, one Goliath swiveled its thick neck to look at the figures watching their procession, eyes glowing as fiery red as any other Grimm. "** **Then why are they still so close to the city? What are they doing?" Ruby asked.**

 **"Waiting." Oobleck explained.** **As he said this, the Goliath turned its head forward again and moved on with its kin. Oobleck turned around and walked away as well and Ruby put away her weapon, not moving.**

"That can't be good." Peter said.

"Indeed. No doubt when Cinder's plan is brought to action, those behemoths will pick up on it. I fear for what may happen then." Thor said.

 **"Doctor Oobleck?" She asked.**

 **"Hmm?" He questioned.**

 **"I was wondering..." She started.**

 **Oobleck stopped walking and turned back to her. "Wondering why I've been interrogating your teammates all day?" He asked.**

 **"A-Actually, I was wondering... Why did you want to become a Huntsman?" She asked.  
**

"Ooh, she flipped the question! I like it!" Tony said.

"Yeah. Let's see what he's got to say." Hulk said.

 **"Look around and tell me what you see." Oobleck instructed.**

 **Ruby took a look around. "** **Lots of old buildings, uh, empty streets..." She pointed out.**

"Well, yeah. I mean, that's all that's there." Peter said.

"No. There's more to it than that. Everything has a deeper meaning, Spider-Man." Cap said stoically.

 **"I see lives that could have been saved." He told her as he continued walking with Ruby beside him and Zwei at their heels. "As a Huntsman, it is my job to protect the people and although I am capable of doing it with traditional weaponry, I believe I can make a much larger impact if I do it with my mind. As a teacher, I'm able to take knowledge, the most powerful weapon of them all and place it in the hands of every student that passes through my classroom. I look at this wasteland and I see lives that could have been saved, but I also see an opportunity; an opportunity to study these ruins and learn from this tragedy, and therefore become stronger." He explained, then stopped for his final answer. "I am a Huntsman, Ruby, because there is nothing else in this world I would rather be." He finished, before he continued walking.**

"See?" Cap said with a smile, proud of the energetic teacher.

"Wow... That was deep." Clint said in shock.

"Indeed. Truly, we have not given this man the credit he deserves." Thor said.

* * *

 **Back at the building, the team had done as instructed, building a fire in the center of the room and huddling around it or standing up. "** **I can't believe we didn't find anything..." Yang groaned.**

 **"We've always been fortunate enough to be in the right place at the right time. I guess we can't always have luck on our side." Blake said.  
**

"Luck always runs out at some point." Clint said.

"All you can do is keep your head up and keep moving forward." Cap agreed.

 **"That's not what I meant."** **Weiss said, off-topic.**

 **"Huh?" Blake asked.**

 **"Earlier, about... upholding the legacy. There's more to it than that." Weiss explained.**

 **"Yeah... No, me too. I mean... I don't know." Yang agreed.**

"There's more to the story than that. For all of them." Widow realized.

"I mean, yeah, of course. Nobody's motivation is just black and white... Except maybe Red Skull or Doc Ock. Oh and let's not forget Ultron." Tony said.

 **"I don't know, either. I know what I want to do, but I figured I'd always take things one step at a time." Blake said.**

 **"Well, it doesn't matter. We know why we're here. Right?" Yang asked.** **The girls merely stared in silence.**

 **Oobleck suddenly came rushing into the room. "Ah, wonderful; a textbook campfire!" Oobleck praised.  
**

 **"Fire!" Ruby said happily, coming in behind Oobleck and immediately sitting next to the blaze alongside Zwei. "So... warm..." She said.**

This earned a few chuckles from the heroes.

 **"Very good! Eat your dinners and hurry to bed. We have a lot of ground to cover tomorrow and we'll need you to take turns keeping watch over our temporary abode. Any volunteers for first watch?" Oobleck asked.**

 **Ruby lifted an arm while still looking into the fire. "Yo." She answered simply.**

 **Oobleck rushed off, and Ruby got up to go over to her lookout point.** **As her sister passed, Yang stopped Ruby. "Hey, did Oobleck ask you why you wanted to be a Huntress? I mean... what did you tell him?" She asked.**

 **"Hmm... No, he didn't. Weird. Oh, well; good night, guys!" Ruby said. And w** **ithout a second carefree thought, she continued on her way.**

"Indeed. It is strange he never questioned young Ruby." Thor said.

"The others weren't sure of themselves. Ruby always was." Hulk answered.

 **Yang looked disappointed in the lack of an answer. Blake was similarly troubled as she unrolled her mat, Weiss tried lying down but failed to sleep, Yang half-heatedly ate her dinner of bread rolls. Soon, all three Huntresses were on their backs around the fire, weapons within easy access, wondering why they were there.**

 **Ruby, meanwhile, was sitting in the vacant windowsill of the room as Zwei went over to her upon hearing the howling of Beowolves. She pet her pooch on the back.** **"Don't worry. Things will be better tomorrow." She assured the canine.** **Master and pet looked out onto the rubble and stared in silence until the scene went dark.**

* * *

The Avengers all looked a bit saddened at this point. "They've started questioning themselves." Spider-Man said.

"Sometimes it's important to question your goals, to make sure their worth striving for and what you really want." Cap said.

"Indeed. Many a time, I've had to remind myself what it is I fight for and why. But in the end, I only feel invigorated and more determined than ever to fight for what I believe in. And what I wish to protect." Thor declared.

"Wow. Wise words, Goldilocks." Hulk said.

"Yeah. I didn't know you had it in ya." Hawkeye agreed.

"We hit walls sometimes. We gotta figure out how to move past them. That's how you get better." Tony said.

Widow smiled at this. "Well, this has been very inspiring. Hopefully, something will inspire Team RWBY and make them more determined than ever. Just like us." Widow said, playing the next episode.

* * *

 **A/N: Another chapter done! I hope you all enjoyed this.**

 **Peter may have been a bit critical of some of the teams reasoning for being a Huntress, like with Yang or agreeing Weiss had a duty to be a hero, rather than a choice to be something else, but it fits with him. We all know his "with great power comes great responsibility" theme. And in the Ultimate Spider-Man, upon finding out MJ could control the carnage symbiote, even stated he would've had her join the Web Warriors and, when she explained she didn't want to, he pretty much told her being a hero isn't a choice, but a duty, so his stance and criticism of team RWBY's motivations.**

 **But what do you think? Let me know in the reviews and keep an eye out for the next chapter.**


	26. Episode 20: Mountain Glenn

"I wonder what they're going to do now?" Peter asked.

"Hopefully, they'll talk about what Oobleck asked them and why they really want to be Huntresses, then they'll get their resolve back." Cap said hopefully.

"They'd better. Of all the places to start questioning yourself and second-guessing why you fight, an abandoned city full of monsters and a criminal organization is probably the worst." Tony pointed out.

"We'll just have to watch and see." Widow said, playing the next episode.

* * *

 **General Ironwood was shown looking out from the landing docks of Beacon Academy to the city of Vale at night, a few airships hovering over the lit-up buildings. Walking up from behind him was Glynda Goodwitch. "** **Trouble sleeping?" She asked.**

 **Ironwood looked back. "Arm was acting up." He explained,** ** **gripping his shoulder with the other hand.****

"What's wrong with his arm?" Cap wondered.

"Could be anything. Maybe he's got a glitch-y robot arm or something. Based on everything else Remnant has, I'm guessing prosthetics are up there." Tony guessed.

 **"Of course, so logically, you got out of bed, dressed yourself completely and decided to gaze menacingly out into the distance." She said sarcastically as she approached all the way to his side, then looked at him concerned. "What's wrong?" She asked.**

"She's got him there." Clint admitted.

"Still, it's nice she worried about him." Peter said.

 **"I've trusted him for years. We both have. I just... I can't help but feel like he's keeping us in the dark." Ironwood explained.**

 **"Don't be ridiculous! You know very well that we are not the ones in the dark." Glynda countered.**

 **Ironwood laughed humorously. "That makes it worse! I refuse to believe that a man that I've trusted for so long would act so... passively." He said.  
**

"He's only passive compared to you wanting to go to war with everything." Widow said.

"Indeed. Even Tyr, our god of war, is not so obsessed with battle." Thor agreed.

 **Glynda put a reassuring hand on her friend's shoulder. "You're a good person, James. You've always done what you think is best for the people, even against strong protest. It's admirable. But it's high time you stopped talking about trust and started showing it." She told him, dropping her hand as they stared into the distance together. "Ozpin has experience that the rest of us lack. And I think that's something worth remembering." She added.**

"How much more experience can he have? He's not THAT much older." Hulk said.

"It could all depend on how young he started his career and exactly what he did that's so much different than them. My military training wasn't exactly the standard that every soldier got." Cap said.

* * *

 **The full moon was shining over the ruined buildings of Mountain Glenn and a lone Beowolf was searching through the rubble. It looked up briefly at the young girl who had it in her red crosshair scope, but Ruby just lowered Crescent Rose and sighed in tiredness at she kept lookout over the destruction. The rest of her team was lying down on their sleeping mats around the fire with weapons nearby, and Doctor Oobleck was higher up, slumped down against the wall next to the hole in the ceiling/floor.**

"That's gonna be bad for his back." Natasha noted.

"Eh. That's probably better than the flat, hard ground." Clint debated.

 **The three members of RWBY had their eyes closed, but Yang was the first to stop pretending.** **"Blake, are you awake?" She asked.**

 **"Yeah." Blake confirmed.**

 **"Why do you think he asked us about being a Huntress? Like, what was he trying to say?" Yang asked.**

 **"Maybe he was just curious." Blake theorized.  
**

 **"You think?" Yang questioned.**

 **"No." Blake admitted.**

"Perhaps he wishes to understand their motivation." Thor suggested.

"Or to make sure they really understand what they're getting into and that they really want to be Huntresses. And for the right reason." Spider-Man offered as well.

"They're good kids. They want to do the right thing." Hulk said.

 **"Weiss, are you awake?" Yang asked.**

 **"Of course I'm awake! You two are talking." Weiss snapped, causing Yang to flinch a bit. "And I think he..." She started, but decided to explain herself. "When I said I wanted to honor my family's name, I meant it. But, it's not what you think. I'm not stupid. I'm fully aware of what my father has done with the Schnee Dust Company. Since he took control, our business has operated in a... moral gray area." She told them.**

 **"That's putting it lightly." Blake said.**

 **"Which is why I feel the need to make things right. If I had taken a job in Atlas, it wouldn't have changed anything. My father was not the start of our name, and I refuse to let him be the end of it." Weiss explained, determinedly.**

"Oh, yeah. I almost forgot her father was a scumbag. He ruined their company, so it makes sense she wants to restore their legacy." Tony said, surprisingly sympathetic.

"That's the same reason you became Iron Man, to stop your weapons from hurting people and destroying the legacy of your dad's company. Right?" Cap asked. Tony nodded and he smiled. Despite going into the weapon's business, Howard was a good man and a good friend. His legacy should be protected at all costs.

 **"All my life, I fought for what I thought was right. I had a partner named Adam. More of a mentor, actually. He always assured me that what we were doing would make the world a better place. But of course, his idea of a perfect future turned out to be not perfect for everyone. I joined the Academy because I knew that Huntsmen and Huntresses were regarded as the most noble warriors in the world. Always fighting for good. But I never really thought past that. When I leave the Academy, what will I - how can I undo so many years of hate?" Blake questioned.**

 **"I'm sure you'd figure it out. You're not one to back down from a challenge, Blake." Yang assured her.**

 **"But I am! I do it all the time! When you learned I was a Faunus, I didn't know what to do, so I ran! When I realized my oldest partner had become a monster, I ran! Even my Semblance! I was born with the ability to leave behind a shadow of myself; an empty copy that takes the hit while I run away!" Blake cried out.  
**

"Running is natural. You were afraid and wanted to get away before you were in danger. It's self-preservation. There's nothing wrong with that." Widow said.

"There is no easy way to get rid of the hate. All she really can do is keep fighting and doing the right thing. But sooner or later, people will HAVE to see she's doing some good and recognize she's doing the right thing. And it's hard to hate someone when they're just trying to do the right thing." Peter said. (Even though Jonah still somehow manages to.) He thought to himself.

"Whoa. That's deep, kid. Nice job." Clint praised the younger hero.

 **"At least you two have something that drives you. I've just kinda of always, gone with the flow, y'know? And that's fine, I mean, that's who I am. But how long can I really do that for? I wanna be a Huntress, not really because I want to be a hero, but because I want the adventure. I want a life where I won't know what tomorrow will bring. And that'll be a good thing. Being a Huntress just happens to line up with that." Yang explained.**

"There is nothing wrong with wanting adventure. You still aim to do what's right. You should have no regrets about your choice." Thor said.

"The more she travels, the more she can help people." Hulk agreed.

 **"I'm not like Ruby, she's always wanted to be a Huntress. It's like she said, ever since she was a kid, she'd dreamt about being the heroes in the books. Helping people and saving the day, and never asking for anything else in return. Even when she couldn't fight, she knew that's what she wanted to do. That's why she trained so hard to get where she is today." She said, looking at her sister proudly.  
**

 **"Well, she's still just a kid." Weiss said.**

 **"She's only two years younger. We're all kids." Blake countered.**

 **"Well, not anymore. I mean, look where we are! In the middle of a warzone and armed to the teeth!" Yang disputed.**

"I've been in more bad situations than I can count. But no matter what, it's still important to remember you're still a kid. You've still got to know your limits and know when you need to back off or get help." Peter said.

"Exactly. You should never try to do more than what you need to. And definitely never more than what you can." Cap said.

 **"It's the life we chose." Blake said.**

 **"It's a job. We all had this romanticized vision of being a Huntress in our heads! But at the end of the day, it's a job to protect the people! And whatever we want, will have to come second." Weiss asserted.**

 **The apparently-sleeping Oobleck has a small smile when she finished.**

"Oh, you sly dog, you planned this!" Tony said with a smirk.

"It's like we said, he wanted to make sure they understood what they were getting into and to strengthen their resolve." Widow said.

"And they're doing this for the right reason. And they are." Hulk said.

* * *

 **Yang had taken up watch, allowing for Ruby and Zwei to sleep on the sleeping bag Yang had been lying on. Zwei suddenly woke and stood up, causing Ruby to wake up.**

 **"Huh? Zwei, it's late. Go back to bed." Ruby told her canine, but Zwei ran off. "Zwei! Zwei! Ugh!" She groaned and wandered out of the building, looking for Zwei. "Zwei! Zwei, where are you? Zwei! Huh?" Ruby called out quietly, before she spotted Zwei urinating on some ruins. "Zwei, this is a wasteland! You literally could have done that anywhere!" She told him.**

"Hey, better out there instead of inside where everyone can smell it." Peter said.

"Good point. He's a pretty well-trained dog in that case." Clint said.

 **Zwei suddenly barked. "** **What was that?" A voice called out.** **Having heard the voice, Ruby hid behind some ruins.**

 **"What was what?" Another voice asked.**

 **It was revealed that the voices came from two White Fang guards. "I thought I heard a Beowolf or something." The first explained.**

 **"Hmph. Let's just finish our patrol and get back to base. This place gives me the creeps." The second one told him.  
**

"Well, so much for their luck running out." Cap said.

"Yeah. Ruby just might be a genius after all." Tony said.

 **As the White Fang guards walked away, Ruby and Zwei snuck around in the background, following them. They eventually reached a ruined building with a pair of metal doors and Ruby hid behind a corner, holding Zwei out to watch them.** **"Did they go in yet? One bark means yes."** **The sound of the door closing echoes out. Zwei barked.**

 **"Oh! This is it! This is it!" Ruby said excitedly and brought out a small scroll and tried to call her teammates. However, the screen said "Low Signal". "Aw man! Come on, we gotta get the others!" She told him.**

"Smart. Go back and get reinforcements before you go in." Widow said.

"Indeed. Their forces are likely too great for any lone warrior." Thor agreed.

 **Ruby and Zwei hurried off down the street. However, the asphalt beneath them suddenly sank before caving in. Ruby grabbed onto a ledge and caught Zwei. She tossed him up out of the hole and began to attempt to pull herself up. However, the ledge she was holding onto broke off and she plummeted into a huge cave filled with ruined buildings, far below the surface.**

"No! Ruby!" Peter cried out worriedly.

"I hope it's not a big drop." Hulk said.

 **She landed on a building up against a cavern wall and as she got up, a nearby door burst open to reveal two other White Fang Guards, one of whom was Perry.** **"Freeze!" Perry ordered.**

 **"Where did she come from?" The other guard asked.** **As the guards walked forward, Ruby backed away only to end up on the very edge of the platform. "** **You're a long way from home, little girl." The guard told her.**

 **Ruby reached back for her scythe, only to realize that she didn't have it. Both guards approached her and one of them grabbed her arm. "** **Hey! Hands off!"** **Ruby snapped and jerked her arm out of the guard's hand and started punching him. However, it had very little effect and he punched her in the face hard enough to knock her down.**

 **"The boss is gonna want to see this one..." Perry said, before** **he** **kicked her in the head hard enough to knock her out.**

The Avengers all flinched as Ruby was knocked out. "I can't wait until Yang gets her hands on that guy." Clint said with a glare.

"Ruby needs some hand-to-hand combat training, from the look of things." Widow noted.

"I'll have to ask my father to look for this Remnant. I shall teach Ruby the greatest of Asgardian fighting styles!" Thor declared.

* * *

 **Yang just finished her guard duty shift and turned back to the rest of the sleeping group. "Hey Weiss, it's your... Ruby? Hey, where's Ruby?" She asked worriedly.**

 **"What?" Oobleck asked, coming up to them.**

 **Zwei came running into the room, barking.** **"Zwei?" Yang asked.**

 **"What's going on?" Blake asked.**

 **"Grab your weapons! Your leader may be in trouble." Oobleck told them.**

"She is! You gotta hurry!" Peter cried out.

"Yeah! You gotta save Spidey's girlfriend!" Clint said.

"Clint! Now's not the time!" Steve told him with a bit of a glare.

* * *

 **Ruby awoke to the two White Fang guards who caught her dragging her by both arms through the underground city. All around her, White Fang members were at work, doing various things such as piloting a Paladin to carry large shipping containers. There was a loud sound nearby as one of the White Fang members dropped a large device.**

 **"Hey, be careful! What are you trying to do, blow us to the moon?" A third guard asked.  
**

 **"Sorry sir!" The one who messed up apologized.**

"Those are big bombs." Hulk said.

"Yeah, that can't be good." Tony agreed.

 **"Hey boss! Found something you might want to see!" Perry called towards one of the cars.  
**

 **"Is it good or bad, Perry? Because let me tell ya, I have had a day."** **Roman asked from inside of a railcar.**

 **"Uh, it's a little girl?" Perry answered.**

 **Roman leaned out through the doorway and saw Ruby. "That would be bad." He said.  
**

"No! Leave her alone, you fiend!" Thor snapped.

"It's not just bad for Roman. This situation is much worse for Ruby." Natasha said.

* * *

 **Zwei lead Oobleck and Ruby's teammates to the hole that Ruby fell into and Yang spotted Crescent Rose next to the hole. "** **Ruby's scythe!" She pointed out.**

 **"Oh no." Blake said worriedly.**

 **"Do you think she fell?" Weiss asked.**

 **"Fell?"** **Oobleck asked, looking up.**

 **"Down there." Weiss told him, pointing.  
**

"I mean, kind of obvious." Clint said.

"Right? A hole in the ground with Ruby's weapon next to it, pretty easy to put two and two together." Tony said.

 **Oobleck looked down at the hole. "Oh my. Of course! Of course, OF COURSE, OF COURSE!" He declared as he began putting all the pieces together.  
**

 **"What is it?" Blake asked.**

 **"How could I be so stupid?!" Oobleck cursed himself as he paced back and forth.  
**

 **"Dr. Oobleck, what's wrong?" Yang asked.**

"Yeah, come on! Tell us!" Peter shouted.

"Please. I do not understand." Thor agreed.

 **"Mountain Glenn! Yes, an expansion of Vale that was inevitably destroyed by creatures of Grimm! Previously home to thousands of people! Working people commuting to the city, the main city! Developed a subway system to the inner city! Grimm attacks increased! Population in danger, now desperately searching for shelter! City evacuates into the metro tunnels and what do they find? The southeast quadrant of Vale is known for wild forests and deep caves!" Oobleck explained.**

 **"Doc, what are you saying?" Yang asked.**

 **"My dear, we're not just looking for an underground crime network, we're looking for an UNDERGROUND crime network!" Oobleck declared.**

 **"They've been working in caves?" Blake asked.**

"Not caves, just underground." Cap said.

"But aren't most caves underground?" Hulk asked.

 **"No, no, Mountain Glenn was Vale's first serious attempt at expansion. It worked for a short period of time, thanks to an aggressive perimeter defense and unique transportation; the city developed an elaborate subway system to carry citizens safely from the new territory into the main Kingdom! Sadly, without the many natural barriers Vale had to protect its borders, Mountain Glenn was doomed from the start! As the end drew near, the citizens of the territory made one last attempt at survival: They took up shelter beneath the city! In massive caves that they had cleared out for the subway. And they had cut themselves off from the surface!" Oobleck relayed the events of Mountain Glenn.**

"So, more of a giant subway station than a cave." Widow said.

"Bottom line, it's underground." Tony said.

 **"An underground village?" Yang asked.**

 **"In a matter of speaking, yes. A safe haven. Until... an explosion opened the mouth of another cavern, filled with subterranean Grimm. After that, the Kingdom officially sealed off the tunnels, creating the world's largest tomb. If Ruby is down there," Oobleck started as he deployed his weapon. "We must find her..." He told them, before** **everything** **went black.**

* * *

The Avengers did a double-take at this. "Wait, WHAT?! His thermos is a weapon?!" Clint asked.

"That has got to be the most insane weapon in this entire show." Tony said.

"Did you guys forget the part where Ruby is in danger!?" Spider-Man asked frantically.

"Chill, bug boy. Her team's on it. They'll save your girlfriend." Hulk said.

Before Peter could protest, Thor placed a heavy hand on his shoulder. "Indeed, my friend. Even without Ruby's leadership, her friends are capable warriors. I have no doubt they'll save her." He assured the web-swinger.

"And on the plus side, they'll be right in the middle of Roman's operation and put a stop to it." Cap said.

"We can hope." Widow said, about to start the next episode, before something else popped up on the screen. "Oh. It's another world of Remnant. It's been a while." She said.

"Yeah. It's almost like whatever magic Loki used to play these forgot about them." Tony said.

* * *

 **RWBY: WORLD OF REMNANT**

 **GRIMM**

 **A set of blazing orange eyes opened up with a furious glare, accompanied a growling was heard. _"The_** _ **Creatures of Grimm; a ravenous, destructive force that covers the majority of Remnant. While often referred to simply as 'Grimm' in the common vernacular, these beings serve as the greatest foe to mankind. For as long as humanity can recall walking the surface of Remnant, so do they remember this wicked force."**_ **The woman from the Dust and Aura episodes narrated.**

 **The planet of Remnant was seen in the palm of a dark, clawed hand, before being crushed. Then, a sphere that was either the sun or moon was reached for by several more clawed hands, which covered in and swirled, expanding to completely engulf the screen. Then, a man with a spear was standing his ground,** **before** **a Beowulf appeared behind him and struck him down with its claws.  
**

"Jeez. Tough break. Even our world never had something constantly trying to kill us." Tony said.

"Even people in the beginning weren't always at war. I guess Remnant didn't have such luck." Cap said.

 _ **"Many ancient cultures believed the creatures of Grimm to be animals possessed by evil spirits, or perhaps the spirits of tortured animals themselves. However, further study - as well as the discovery of newer, more horrific forms of Grimm - does not support this hypothesis. With new creatures discovered every day, scientists perpetually find themselves with more questions than answers."**_

 **Several beowulves were shown, one's eyes and mouth glowing red as several more sprouted bone-like spikes from their backs.**

"Jeez. Emphasis on horrific." Hawkeye said.

"The Grimm must be like other animals, developing to combat threats or better take down their prey." Widow theorized.

 _ **"While very little is known of their origin, some key facts have been observed in the wild. First and foremost, the Grimm exclusively attack humans and their creations. While occasional skirmishes between wildlife and Grimm have occurred, these instances appear to be based on territorial provocations, rather than a need for sustenance. In fact, the common belief is that the Grimm are not obligated to feed; they choose to."**_

 **Another human with a spear was killed and eaten by a giant Nevermore. As it feasted, a wolf appeared and attacked the Nevermore, but fled before killing it. The Nevermore simply looked to where the wolf had been, seeming disinterested.  
**

"Then these beasts truly are evil beyond any doubt." Thor said.

"Too bad we aren't there so I could smash 'em." Hulk said.

"Yeah. I'm usually not a fan of hunting, but for these things, I'd make an exception." Spider-Man said, glaring at the Nevermore.

 _ **"What is perhaps even more unsettling is the basis of their attraction. The Creatures of Grimm are lured towards negative emotion. In the rare instances when villages are capable of defending against a wave of Grimm, their survival is not guaranteed, as widespread panic will only lead to more attacks."**_

 **A man was seen beating another man in front of a dark red background, blood coming from the beaten man's mouth. This time a woman with a spear was surrounded by more Grimm, before more people joined her, but they changed from white to black, before larger, more powerful Grimm attacked them and everything went black.  
**

"So, it's a vicious cycle." Clint said.

"Exactly. It's hard to keep calm when you know there's a threat out there that could come back at any minute." Cap agreed.

"That's basically why RWBY's out there now. Blake knew the White Fang would be back, so she wanted to go after them before they came back, ready to attack." Widow said.

 _ **"Little else is known about the Creatures of Grimm. Keeping them in captivity has proved to be an understandably difficult task, as the creatures tend to either die, or kill those who imprisoned them in the first place.**_ _ **To further complicate study, the corpse of a Grimm will only remain for a short period of time, before completely evaporating. Those who hunt the beasts for sport find this particularly upsetting, but manage to get by with cheap taxidermic recreations and bombastic storytelling."**_

 ** **A Beowulf was shown in front of a white background, before red bars shot up, showing the Grimm in a cage, before the bars came down as the monster spread its arms and roared.** ** **A dead beowulf was then shown disintegrating as a familiar robust man walked up to it, before a boarbetusk's head was shown mounted on a wall, with the robust, mustached figure stood in front of it with a wine glass.******

"Oh, Port..." Peter said, rolling his eyes.

"I can sympathize with the Professor in this endeavor. It's understandable to want a trophy that accompanies the tale of a glorious hunt!" Thor boasted.

 _ **"Although the Creatures of Grimm appear mindless, more delicate observation has proven contradictory. It has been noted that while younger Grimm tend to be more reckless; older Grimm, who have managed to survive their battles, have the tendency to learn from their experience and will exercise caution in the future. This perverse form of self-preservation allows the creatures to become**_ **more** _ **effective killers."**_

 **Two Grimm were shown attacking a man with a sword. One attacked him, but was deflected, while the other attacked and was killed, the first one retreating, becoming much larger and more fearsome while growing bone spikes, coming across two more men, one with a shield and one with a sword and clawing them down, black blood completely covering the screen, leaving everything dark.**

 ** _ **"**_ _ **And in the end... killing is all that matters..."**_**

* * *

"Oh, great. So now the super dangerous, evil monsters become even more dangerous." Tony said.

"I was hoping that by learning, they could finally understand to stop attacking humans and live peacefully, but I guess that's too much to hope for." Cap said.

"Sometimes things just can't find reason, Cap. Some people are even like that. Only wanting to hurt others or stand above them." Widow said.

"Indeed. I've encountered countless other life forms that could learn peace, yet still choose war." Thor said.

"Sometimes monsters just need to be put down" Hulk said grimly.

"Well, hey, as long as they can keep fighting them off, they're no big deal, right?" Clint said.

"Yeah. Maybe we should just move onto the next episode, yeah?" Peter asked, Natasha agreeing and pressing the button.


	27. Episode 21: No Brakes

"Hurry! Play the next episode! We need to find out if Ruby's okay!" Peter said.

"Calm down, Spider boy. I'm sure your girlfriend's gonna be just fine." Clint said.

"Don't start that again!" Spider-Man snapped, trying to tackle the archer, but was held back by Hulk.

"Easy, buddy..." Hulk said calmingly.

"We're all worried about her and want to know what happens next. But we won't start the show until you calm down." Widow told him. He immediately sat back in his spot. "Alright, then." She said, playing the episode.

* * *

 **Ruby was thrown across the floor by Roman, who was laughing smugly. "** **Wow! You are much more manageable without that oversized gardening tool of yours." He taunted.** **Ruby got up and charges at Roman, which he simply sidestepped, sending Ruby stumbling across the floor, to which he laughed again. "** **Oh man. You know, Perry, I really did need this." He told Perry,** **who** **raised his thumb in agreement as Roman laughed. The crime lord then** **walked over to Ruby and aimed Melodic Cudgel at her. "But seriously. How'd you find this place, Red?" He demanded.**

"You leave her alone!" Peter snapped.

"Wow. Beating up a little girl. Hope he feels like a big man." Tony said sarcastically.

 **Ruby growled and used her Semblance to escape Roman and started running for an exit.** **"Whoa!"** **Roman cried out in surprise, looking around, briefly startled. However, he soon spotted Ruby as she ran for safety.** **Smiling, Roman stood up, spun Melodic Cudgel in his hands and aims the handle at Ruby. He fired the handle, which doubled as a grappling hook, at Ruby, catching her by her hood and allowing Roman to pull her back. "** **I see you've got some tricks up your sleeve! Let me make this clear: We're not through here yet." He told her menacingly.**

"It has a hook, too?!" Clint asked.

"That would explain how he got away so fast in their first encounter." Steve noted.

"She should've kept her semblance up a bit longer. We know for a fact she can go farther and faster than that." Widow criticized.

 **A massive explosion sounded, causing Roman to look up. "** **Oh, what the... Perry, if you and the boys could take care of that? Kinda in the middle of something." He ordered.** **Perry nodded and went off to investigate the explosion just as another one sounded.** **"WHAT is going on here?!"** **Roman demanded, annoyed.**

"A rescue is going on!" Hulk cheered.

"Yes! You were a fool to assume she was alone and her comrades would not save her, villain!" Thor boomed.

 **A third explosion sounded and multiple White Fang members came running around the corner, some firing at an unknown enemy. Weiss, Blake, Yang, Zwei and Oobleck ran around the corner, much to Roman's annoyance. Ruby decided to take this moment to try and escape. She jumped on Roman's shoulders, pulled his hat down over his eyes, and then fled towards her friends.**

The Avengers all laughed at this. "Nice one, kid." Natasha said.

 **"Somebody kill her!"** **Roman readjusted his hat and glaring after Ruby.**

 **Roman and the White Fang members around him open fired on Ruby, which she dodged and weaved between.** **Roman turned angrily to the White Fang member next to him. "Attach this cart and spread the word: We're starting the train." He ordered.**

 **"But we're not finished!" The soldier said.**

 **Roman pinned the White Fang member up against the wall with Melodic Cudgel. "Do it or you're finished!" He ordered once again.**

Cap shook his head at this. "Why would they listen to someone who insults and abuses them? They already hate humans. They should be looking for an excuse to turn on him." He said.

"He's supplied them with ridiculous amounts of weapons and ammunition. They get those weapons because of their service to him. And it's better using those weapons for him than having him use it on them." Tony explained.

 **The shot cut to Ruby fleeing, but screeched to a halt as she realized she was running towards a group of White Fang members. A huge explosion appeared behind the White Fang members, sending them flying and reveling Yang behind them.** **"Ruby!"** **Yang cried out happily as Ruby jumped into her arms.**

"Whew, nice save!" Peter said.

"Yep. Your future sister-in-law handled that pretty well." Clint said.

"Hawkeye!" Spider-Man snapped.

 **"Are you okay?" Weiss asked.**

 **"I'm fine, I'm fine! But listen! Torchwick's got all kinds of weapons and robots down there." Ruby told them.**

 **"What?!" Blake asked as she handed Ruby her weapon.**

 **"Androids, mechs, they're all loaded up on the train cars!" Ruby explained.  
**

 **"Ahhhh, that's ridiculous. These tunnels are sealed, the tracks lead to a dead-end." Oobleck said.**

 **"Get to your places, we are leaving now!"** **Roman ordered across a speaker system as** **the train started moving towards the tunnels.**

 **"Well, it sounds like they're going somewhere." Yang said.**

"I mean, at that point, you can't really argue." Tony said.

"But they'll just be crashing into a wall. It's a literal suicide mission? What could be the point?" Natasha pondered.

 **"We need backup. Let me call Jaune." Ruby said, pulling out her scroll. Unfortunately, the** **Scroll flashed "Low Signal". "** **I can't get through!" She said.  
**

 **"So, what do we do?" Weiss asked.**

 **"I believe we only have one option..." Oobleck started.**

 **Ruby turned around dramatically. "We're stopping that train!" She declared.**

"Yeah! Go, Ruby!" Hulk cheered.

"Yes! Show them why team RWBY should be feared!" Thor cheered along.

* * *

 **The scene cut to the train rushing through a tunnel, loaded with mechs. A White Fang member standing on the train heard a noise and looked outside the train to see rose petals. He brought out a communication device. "** **I think they're on the—" He started...  
**

 **But was cut off and fell down as Oobleck hit him in the head with his weapon.**

The avengers all laughed at this.

* * *

 **The shot cut to Roman in the front of the train as a White Fang member rushed in. "** **Boss! They made it on the train!" He informed the crime lord.**

 **Roman sighed. "Then grab some cargo and get them off the train!" He ordered.** **The White Fang member nodded and left to follow Roman's orders. "** **Man, animals, every one of them." Roman said, before he l** **ooked awkwardly at the White Fang member sitting next to him. "** **Not you though, you're, heh, you're great." He corrected himself.**

"Why would they tolerate that? They should fight against him, not work for him!" Cap snapped.

"Especially now that he's basically sending them to their deaths." Widow agreed.

* * *

 **The scene cut to Team RWBY and Oobleck standing on top of the train.**

 **"Hurry, children! We must get to the front and stop this train!" Oobleck instructed.**

 **"Err... Professor?" Weiss asked.**

 **"Doctor..." Oobleck corrected with a bit of a growl, leaning in.**

 **"What's that?"** **She asked again, pointing down a hatch into the train.**

 **Oobleck knelt down to take a look. "That my dear... appears to be a bomb." He answered.** **Team RWBY all cringed away from the hatch.**

"Little too casual about being right next to a bomb, aren't you?" Clint asked.

"You're never too concerned about any bombs, at least until it's down to the last 10 seconds." Tony countered.

 **"We've got baddies!"** **Ruby announced, pointing forward on the train, where** **dozens of White Fang members could be seen climbing onto the top of the train.**

 **"Well, I didn't expect them to go—" Oobleck started, before t** **he bomb underneath them charged up and started beeping. "** **—easy on us." He said, standing up. "Time to go!" He told them.** **As Team RWBY started running away, Oobleck stopped Blake.** **"Blake! Detach the caboose! It will kill us all!" Oobleck instructed.**

 **"On it." Blake acknowledged,** **jumping down onto the connectors and got ready to cut the connection, but as she did, the connection came loose on its own. "** **Huh?" She questioned, looking up at Oobleck. "It decoupled itself!" She alerted the teacher.**

"What?! But why?! They'd lose so much cargo!" Spider-Man said, trying and failing to figure out their plan.

"And they should know how fast the girls are. There's no way simply detaching the car would stop them. They could just jump to the next one before it exploded." Widow processed as she tried to uncover the plan as well.

 **"What?!" Oobleck asked.**

 **"I guess he really doesn't want us on this train." Yang said.  
**

 **As Oobleck looked back at the detached cart, it exploded in the tunnel. "** **That's not good..." He said.**

 **"Err, neither is this!"** **Ruby said, standing next to another open hatch.**

 **"Another bomb?!" Blake asked.**

 **Oobleck looked around and ran to the next train car. "No. No. No." He said as he began to fear the worst. He opened the hatch and looked in, his fears confirmed. "They ALL have bombs!"** **He yelled back to Team RWBY.**

"Insanity! What of their ranks within the cars?!" Thor asked.

"They're probably up ahead. Still doesn't make sense, though." Hulk said.

 **The bomb under Team RWBY charged up and started beeping and the cart they were on detached itself, forcing Team RWBY to run to the next cart. "** **This doesn't make sense!" Yang said.**

 **The White Fang members climbing the train could be seen again. "** **Get the humans!" A female member shouted.**

 **Team RWBY jumped forward to attack the incoming White Fang members. Oobleck turned around and watched the detached train car explode. Only this time it created a hole allowing multiple types of Grimm to emerge.** **"Oh, dear..." Oobleck said worriedly.**

"Oh, no!" Peter said.

"He's leading the Grimm to the city!" Natasha finally realized.

 **The horde of Grimm began advancing quickly toward the runaway train. "** **He's leading Grimm to the city!" Oobleck shouted.**

 **"What?" Weiss asked.**

 **"It's the cars! They detach and explode, creating openings for the Grimm!" Oobleck explained.  
**

Widow nodded, proud of her statement, but no less furious at the criminals. "So they're going to attack the city with Grimm." Cap said angrily

"But how many could really be able to follow the train? I mean, they must still be miles out and a cargo train's top speed is 49 miles per hour. I doubt the Grimm are THAT fast." Tony said.

"But remember, the Grimm hone in on negative emotions. If the train crashes somewhere in town, the citizens will likely panic. And that will draw the Grimm." Thor reminded them.

"OH... That could be bad." Tony said.

 **"That's insane!" Blake cried out.**

 **Another train car detached itself. "** **We have to hurry! You three, go below and try to stop those bombs!"** **Oobleck told Weiss, Blake, and Yang.**

 **"What about us?" Ruby asked.**

 **"We're going to stop this train." Oobleck said dramatically.**

 **"Yeah, I know. I said that earlier." Ruby said, slightly annoyed.  
**

"Ooh! Good thing he's a doctor, because he just got burned!" Clint said with a smirk.

"Still, his plan is a good one." Widow complimented.

 **The group moved forward. As the train continued towards it destination, White Fang members started to pilot multiple Atlesian Paladin-290s and jumped to the top of the train. Ruby, Zwei and Oobleck were shown running.**

 **"Up ahead!" Oobleck warned as a** **Paladin was seen charging towards them. "** **We got a problem!" He said.**

 **Oobleck took a sip from his thermos before transforming it into its weapon mode, a small flame burning at its tip. Zwei barked, prompting he was ready for an attack. He jumped and flipped in the air and Oobleck batted him, turning him into a small fireball. The Paladin was seen shooting, only for it to get knocked off the train by the combination attack. The Paladin tumbled on the train tracks and exploded when it hit a barricade. Another Paladin appeared in front of Zwei, its guns aimed at him. Suddenly, multiple fire attacks hit it and Oobleck swiftly knocked it off the train as well.**

"WHAT!?" Everyone shouted in shock.

"He turned the dog into a fireball!" Peter cried in disbelief.

"But he's just fine! That's impossible!" Tony said in disbelief.

"Remember, even animals have aura and a semblance. Maybe that's Zwei's." Cap suggested.

"I want a corgi now." Hulk said.

* * *

 **Down below, Yang, Weiss and Blake enterd the train car.** **"I guess this is what we trained for." Yang said.**

 **Weiss reached into her pouch and gave Blake a magazine filled with Dust vials. "** **Here, this should help you." She offered.  
**

 **Blake slid the mag into Gambol Shroud and then the three of them charged forward. Suddenly, Neo dropped from the ceiling and blocked their path. "** **You two go on ahead. This one's mine." Yang told them.**

"Yes, Yang! Defeat your tiny opponent and gain massive glory!" Thor cheered.

"Yang might actually be the worst one to fight Neo." Clint said.

"No way! Thor's daughter's got this!" Hulk said, shocked by Hawkeye's statement, but still taking the opportunity to tease Thor.

"HULK!" Thor snapped.

"It's because she's so small. She's a harder target to hit. It also makes her smaller and more maneuverable. And that stance looks like one that focuses on dodging and using an opponent's strength against them. In case you both forgot, I can quite literally dance circles around you big boys." Widow explained, adding a bit of sass at the end as she directed her comment towards Hulk and Thor, both of whom grumbled and looked down in shame, knowing she was right.

 **Blake and Weiss proceeded forward. As Neo prepared for their attack, Yang fired a round to distract her, allowing Blake and Weiss to continue. Yang stepped forward toward her opponent, staring down as Neo gave a sinister smile. Yang frowned at this and** **tightened her fist and threw a simple forward punch towards Neo's face, which was deflected with a white flash of unknown origin from Neo, causing Yang to stumble back. Neo opened her umbrella and the fight truly began.**

 **Yang dashed forwards, unleashing a flurry of several punches, resetting each time instead of redirecting her blows, as Neo simply dodged each attack, moving her body swiftly in order to avoid them in a very laid back, but extremely effective style. With every unsuccessful punch, elbow and kick, Yang continued moving forward as her last three blows brought her to a knee, where she attempted a roundhouse kick, allowing Neo to deliver a spinning hook kick, knocking Yang to the ground, the former's guard completely open on the left side.**

"Yang can't even get in a single hit!" Peter said worriedly.

"I'd say she needs to change up her strategy, but even I'm having a tough time figuring out what she can really do here. She's too fast to grab and she can block or dodge any of Yang's projectiles. And without ice dust or something, there's no way to slow her down or trip her up." Cap analyzed.

 **While on the ground, Yang growled in anger, to which Neo responded by performing a drop kick. However, Yang dodged by rolling away and subsequently springing up to attack once again.**

 **Neo countered through a pull in redirection of force technique, pulling Yang's arm in with her own left arm and performing a well-executed ax kick to hit Yang on the chin, before kicking Yang in the stomach with a perfect side kick. Neo then began pushing Yang back via her umbrella, now on the offensive, as Yang tried to counter her movements with Ember Celica. Neo was able to effortlessly push Yang back against a wall, until the latter shot a blast directly towards the former's feet. Neo, however, backflipped effortlessly and she landed perfectly on a metal container, before sitting, awaiting Yang's next attack.**

"She's just toying with her now." Tony noted with a glare.

"I have my doubts if any member of team RWBY could beat her on their own. She's not just smaller and faster than most of them. From what I can tell, her skills surpass most of them by a significant margin. It's hard to beat someone who knows so many more moves and techniques than you." Widow explained.

* * *

 **In the next train car, Blake and Weiss were seen running and then looked at each other when they heard the sound of revving up ahead. A figure was seen dragging a chainsaw along the floor. The camera panned up, revealing the White Fang Lieutenant. "** **You go on ahead!" Weiss told Blake.  
**

 **"Got it!" Blake agreed.**

"A big opponent with a heavy weapon. We already know Weiss does well against those." Cap noted.

"Indeed. No doubt she will make quick work of this brute!" Thor cheered.

 **The Lieutenant chuckled menacingly as he held up his chainsaw. The two Huntresses-in-training charged forward, with Blake deflecting an attack as Weiss flipped backward. Weiss delivered multiple strikes at the Lieutenant, knocking him down. She then smiled at Blake as she proceeded to the next car. The Lieutenant got back up, again chuckling menacingly. "** **Finally, I get to kill a Schnee..." He said darkly.**

 **Weiss held up Myrtenaster en garde.**

"Well, that's unsettling." Peter said.

"Come on, Ice Queen! Show him what you got!" Clint said.

* * *

 **In the next train car, Blake stopped and gritted her teeth when she was greeted by a familiar foe. "** **Hello, kitty cat. You miss me? You know, we really gotta stop meeting like this. People are gonna talk..." Roman taunted, twirling his cane, before resting it on his shoulder.**

 **Blake charged forward to attack, then** **feinted and used her Semblance combined with dust to create a fiery shadow of herself. Roman struck it and it exploded, propelling him into the air. Blake jumped up and delivered some midair strikes to knock him down, then landed in a fighting stance.**

"Whoa! The dust changed he clones!" Peter said in awe.

"Yeah. Some nice damage right off the bat. Round 1 goes to Blake!" Tony cheered.

 **Roman fired a blast from the Melodic Cudgel and Blake used dust to create a stone shadow of herself to take the blow. She leapt overhead and prepared to strike, only to feint again and create another shadow of herself with her Semblance. Roman blocked a flurry of attacks from Blake and tried to strike her with an overhead blow, but she dodged back and created a frozen shadow that trapped his weapon. As he tried to retrieve it, Blake performed a vertical slash that sent a shockwave down the train car, destroying the ice sculpture and knocking Roman into the door where he dropped his weapon.**

"Wow, that was fast!" Cap said with a smile.

"Amazing how much one advantage can completely turn the tide." Widow agreed.

 **Before Roman could stand up, Blake stepped on his chest and held her blade to his face.** **Roman chuckled nervously before speaking. "Why are we fighting? I saw you at the rally, we're on the same side and you know it..." He told her,** **his voice gets a dramatic change in tone.**

"Liar! She is not on your side, villain!" Thor snapped.

"Yeah! She's a hero! And she's taking you down!" Hulk agreed.

* * *

 **The Lieutenant ran towards Weiss as she raised her weapon defensively before using Myrtenaster to draw a pale blue circle in the air, forming a force-field. Cyan shockwaves radiated from the center of the force-field as the Lieutenant tried, in vain, to saw through it. Weiss then knocked him back with a slash from her weapon. The Lieutenant attempted another overhead swipe, but Weiss pointed her weapon downwards and let the chainsaw simply run down the side of it, creating sparks but missing her completely. She then spun and slashed him again, knocking him back. She flipped gracefully over him, slashing at his head and landing on the other side of him.**

"Nice. She's doing good so far." Tony said.

"She's sticking to her strengths, dodging or deflecting his attacks and hitting him when he's open." Widow agreed.

 **He got up and spun around, viciously swiping towards her sideways with the chainsaw. She acrobatically lowered her body underneath it, dodging the blow and backflipping out of range before attacking in a series of slashes and stabs that threw him into the air and back onto the ground. She flipped over him, facing him from another angle.**

 **Rising from the ground, the Lieutenant slashed at her, but she ducked out of the way. After attempting another overhead slash, which she dodged again, he managed to briefly knock her back after the two weapons clash. However, his subsequent kick towards her met only a pile of boxes, as she leapt onto the ceiling. She spiraled downwards with her weapon outstretched, but he stepped out of the way. She landed, before getting up, deflecting one of his attacks, performing a backflip and countering with a stab of her own, which sent him flying backwards. As he stood back on his feet, Weiss held Myrtenaster in front of her and concentrated, mixing yellow Dust with a glyph to create a haste glyph beneath herself. Utilizing her speed power-up, Weiss charged forward and created a series of glyphs that surrounded the Lieutenant. She leapt and began ricocheting off each of the glyphs, slashing him extremely quickly each time she passed him, knocking him to the ground.**

"Man, those glyphs of hers are insane!" Spider-Man said with a grin, happy that most of the heroes were still winning.

"She's got a lot of ways to diversify them. And that hasting one is incredibly difficult to combat. She does her family name proud." Cap said.

 **Creating another glyph, Weiss attempted to stab him where he lied, but the Lieutenant rolled backwards, preventing her from doing so. She jumped in the air in order to attack him again, but he had recovered and was prepared to counter. "C'mere, princess!" he snapped and grabbed her face before brutally raising her above his head and slamming her into the ground, causing debris to be flung around. He then threw her into the air and slashed at her with his chainsaw...**

"NO!" All the Avengers shouted at once.

"Fiend! Don't you dare harm a young maiden!" Thor snapped.

"Did anyone else notice that? It's like the Haste glyph backfired and slowed her down. She'd better work on that in the future." Clint noted.

* * *

 **Yang's fight was still going badly as** **Yang approached her, Neo smiled, taunting her, before Yang unleashed another attack. Neo countered and began kicking Yang back. Yang unleashed another blast from Ember, which Neo blocked. The two sparred briefly, hand to hand, before Yang grabbed Neo's foot and pulled her closer to throw her, only for Neo to perfectly counter, before grappling Yang and using her momentum to throw her into the ceiling, knocking her unconscious...**

"This keeps getting worse!" Hulk said worriedly.

"Man. Things aren't looking good for your daughter, Hammerhead." Tony said.

"Stark!" Thor barked at the billionaire.

"Is now REALLY the time for that!?" Cap snapped.

* * *

 **Cut back to Roman being held down by Blake, he grunted as she pointed her blade at his throat. "** **Oh, still feisty. Soooo, what are we gonna do now? You think a little bow on top is gonna make people forget who you were? What you've done...?" He taunted.**

"Everyone makes mistakes. But they can always change. It's never too late." Peter said.

"Exactly. All of us have done things we regret. But we're here now to change them and make the world a better place." Natasha said, smiling at the other spider-named hero.

 **As she gritted her teeth at his words, Blake heard the door from the previous train car open behind her. An unconscious Weiss was thrown to the floor, with the Lieutenant emerging from the doorway, holding his chainsaw. "** **So what's it gonna be, Blake?" Roman asked.**

 **She sheathed Gambol Shroud and kicked Roman in the face, knocking him unconscious. Blake went over to Weiss' aid, and fled immediately before the Lieutenant could reach them.**

"Yeah! Take that, bowler hat!" Clint laughed.

"Good. Get her out of there." Cap said, the Avengers breathing out a collective sigh of relief.

* * *

 **Meanwhile, Neo was seen pulling a hidden blade from within her umbrella and approaching the unconscious Yang. She prepared to deal the finishing blow, grinning sadistically while doing so.**

"NO!" All the Avengers shouted at once... Again.

 **Suddenly, a masked warrior - raven-haired and clad in red and black - came out of nowhere and knocked Neo back with two quick sword slices the mute girl barely defended against, before sheathing her sword. Neo's eyes changed from brown and pink to white, mirroring her fearful expression. The mysterious swordswoman slowly drew her sword again - long and crimson red - and held it up intimidatingly.**

"Who the heck is that!?" Hulk asked.

"I know not. But I sense an air of danger around that woman." Thor said cautiously.

"Who cares, as long as she's saving Yang!" Clint said.

 **Neo, realizing the imminent threat before her, wasted no time and disappeared in a flash. The swordswoman looked down at the still unconscious Yang and slashed her sword to the side, opening an eerie red portal. She walked away from Yang and into the portal. At that moment, Yang regained some consciousness and slowly got back up. As she opened her eyes again, she got a brief glimpse at her rescuer before the woman disappeared. Yang rubbed her head, still reeling after just regaining consciousness, before standing up and leaving the scene.**

"It's a long shot, but there's a chance..." Cap said.

"No way. You don't think..." Tony went on.

The others picked up on it and looked at them in shock. "Yang's mother? No way! Why would she show up now, of all times? How would she even know Yang was in danger?" Spider-Man asked.

"For now, all we know is that she saved Yang. We should just be happy with that." Widow told them, to which they all nodded.

* * *

 **Back to Ruby and Oobleck, the Doctor dodged a couple swipes from the Paladin and then ran to the top of its head and shot it in its engine before jumping back down. Ruby twirled Crescent Rose around a few times and then she and Oobleck fired simultaneously at the Paladin's feet, knocking it off the train. The both of them switched positions. "** **Ruby! You go on ahead!" Oobleck instructed.**

 **"But-" Ruby started.**

 **"Don't worry, Ruby. It's time... I teach them a lesson..."** **The Doctor said, before going to take on two oncoming Paladins.  
**

"Yeah! The teacher's stepping up!" Hulk cheered.

"Show them what a true hunstman is capable of!" Thor boomed.

 ** **Before she left, Ruby noticed the saddened Zwei looking up at her. She smiled and motioned for him to go join his new friend.** "Go." She told him. ****With that, Zwei expression changed dramatically and barked happily before running off to fight alongside the Doctor.**

"That's one loyal dog right there." Cap said with a smile.

"Well, it's decided. Avengers, we're getting a dog!" Tony said, getting a few chuckles from the others.

 **Ruby hurried to the front of the train. The remaining members of Team RWBY reemerged from the train cars to rejoin their leader. Ruby looked on worriedly as she realized the train was on a collision course with a thick concrete wall.** **"What do we do?" Blake asked.** **Ruby and Weiss smiled at each other and the latter formed an ice shield to protect her teammates, bracing themselves for the impending crash. The train crashed into the wall, the explosion causing everything to go white.**

"Smart, but I don't know if that's enough ice to protect against a crash that big." Peter said worriedly.

"We've seen what Yang's aura can protect against. That plus all that ice? I bet it's plenty." Clint said.

* * *

 **Ruby's first person perspective was now shown as she recovered from the collision. She heard the sound of an emergency alarm blaring as her vision came back with buildings into her view. She turned her head to the lower right and saw Blake and Yang slowly getting back up, her sister coughing as the dust settled. She turned her head again and saw Weiss sitting up against a large piece of debris, who also gave a thumbs up at her team leader signaling she was okay. The camera switched back to show Ruby as she sat back up.**

The Avengers let out another sigh of relief. "See? I told you." Clint said.

"But you still didn't know for certain. You were as worried as the rest of us." Natasha told him. He tried to argue, but had to admit, she was right, so he simply stayed silent and crossed his arms.

 **The team of huntresses then noticed, much to their chagrin, that they had returned to the central part of Vale and multiple civilians in the area noticed them among the debris. Ruby heard the sound of low rumbles and growls from behind her. Suddenly, a giant King Taijitu emerged from the hole and multiple Grimm started pouring into Vale. The civilians screamed as they attempted to flee the chaos. The sounds of screams and roars filled the air and all Team RWBY could do was watch in horror. Cut to a close up on Ruby, her expression changing from worried and scared to angry and determined. The alarm continued to blare as everything suddenly went black...**

* * *

"I can't believe it. They brought that massive wave of Grimm to Vale's doorstep, so innocent people would be killed." Cap said angrily.

"I'm still having a hard time processing those things could keep up with a speeding train!" Tony said.

"Indeed. The beasts continue to become more and more fearsome." Thor agreed.

"Yeah. Even after that World of Remnant video, they didn't seem all that dangerous, but now... I'd say they earned their title of being humanity's greatest threat." Clint said.

"And now there's an army of them in the middle of a huge city full of people." Spider-Man said angrily.

"But Ruby and her team can smash 'em!" Hulk said.

"We can only hope." Widow said, starting the next episode.

* * *

 **A/N: Another chapter down! I hope you all enjoyed this! Let me know what you think in the reviews. Also, a few things I'd like to address:**

 **1: PLEASE STOP asking about Avengers watching MHA. I discontinued it and put it up for adoption. The story IS NOT going to continue under me. I've posted it on my Quotev page. If you want to continue it, feel free to copy and paste the story back on here and continue it yourself. But I will not be adding anything more to the story. PLEASE. STOP. ASKING.**

 **2: My good friend Eclipse Metastar has issued a challenge for someone to write the heroes of One Punch Man reacting to Death Battle. I'd also like to see this, so if someone is willing, it'd be great if you could take on the challenge and write the story.**

 **3: I also have my own challenge: for someone to write a story where RWBY reacts to Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood. The entire series is great and it'd be awesome to see RWBY watch it and see what they think, but mainly I want to see Ruby's reaction to Ed not wanting to drink his milk. I can imagine her going on an entire rant about it.**

 **But again, thank you for reading this story, I hope you enjoyed it and thank you for your patience for more chapters in the future.**


	28. Episode 22: Breach

"Oh, man. Things are getting intense..." Spider-Man said worriedly.

"Don't worry, bug boy. Your girlfriend will be fine." Hulk told him.

"The whole city's in danger! Now's not the time for that joke!" Peter snapped.

"The academy can't be that far from the city. I'm sure if team RWBY can hold back the Grimm long enough, help will be there in no time." Cap assured them.

"Guess we'll just watch and find out." Clint said, taking the remote from Natasha and playing the episode.

* * *

 **Jaune was sleeping during the night inside JNPR's** **dorm** **room. "** **Waffles..." He mumbled in his sleep.** **Jaune suddenly woke up to a call on his Scroll, with the ringtone "It's a Big Ursa!" playing.**

The Avengers chuckled, both at the ringtone and Jaune's sleep muttering.

 **"Hello?" He asked, yelping as he** **heard loud noises for six seconds from Ruby's Scroll before the call ended. "** **Uh, Ruby?" He asked worriedly, holding his scroll.**

"Loud noises in the background and no answer is never a good sign." Peter said.

* * *

 **Later on, Team JNPR walked at dawn towards their Bullhead. "** **I'm sure they're fine." Pyrrha assured her team leader.**

 **"You think?" Jaune asked unsurely.**

 **"Probably a butt dial..." Nora said dismissively as she skipped towards the Bullhead.  
**

The Avengers chuckled again.

 **"Team RWBY has always performed exceptionally in the field. We should be focusing on our own mission." Ren assured him as well.**

 **"We're gonna be deputies!" Nora said excitedly.**

The Avengers laughed out loud at this. "And just like that, crime in the village was wiped out." Clint said.

"Praise be to Nora, Princess of Asgard and hammers." Tony said.

"She is not my daughter, she is not the Princess of Asgard. She may have the title of Princess of hammers, however." Thor said.

 **"I just got this feeling... I don't know." Jaune told them.  
**

 **"Jaune..." Pyrrha started.**

"You've got good instincts, Jaune. You should listen to them." Cap said.

 **Suddenly, alarms rang out as they saw the city up in smoke. "** **We're changing our mission. Everyone on board!" Jaune ordered.** **As the team headed toward their Bullhead, Jaune did a headcount, grabbing Ren's shoulder as he was the last one in. "** **Ren, we'll make it to that village another time." He promised his teammate, before entering the ship himself. "Take us into the city!" He ordered.**

"He's coming into his role as a leader pretty well." Natasha praised.

"We should give him more credit." Hulk agreed.

 **As the Bullhead took off, Mercury, Cinder and Emerald watched nearby. "** **You don't think..." Emerald asked.**

 **"Sure looks like it." Mercury said.**

 **"That's still days away!" Emerald said worriedly.**

 **"So? What do we do?" Mercury asked.**

 **a close-up of Cinder's face was shown before she made her decision.**

"So, wait, why would they even need to pose as students if they were just going to unleash Grimm into the city?" Peter asked.

"I'm starting to worry that wasn't their only plan." Tony said.

* * *

 **Team RWBY was surrounded in the middle of the pavilion by Beowolves, Ursai and a massive King Taijitu. The King Taijitu unleashed a mighty roar, signaling the Grimm to attack.**

 **Ruby planted Crescent Rose on the ground, using it as a hold to bring her feet up kicking away the beowulves that formed a circle around her, Yang propelled herself upwards off a Creep, performing aerial bombardments with Ember Celica on the Grimm before three Nevermores sent her crashing to the ground. Blake slashed a Beowolf with Gambol Shroud's sheath, then stabbed it in the head with the sword before turning it into its gun form and firing on the other approaching Grimm. Weiss slashed three Beowolves, before summoning a glyph to conjure up an ice blade and slicing down several more. Yang, back on the ground, sent several cars flying towards the Grimm.**

"Oh, man... I'm getting flashbacks to... basically any alien invasion." Clint said.

"They're doing pretty well at dealing with big crowds of Grimm, though. They're covering their sides and rears, not letting themselves be caught off-guard from any direction. That's very good." Widow analyzed.

 **As Ruby finished slashing at a Grimm, she noticed the King Taijitu ready for the attack, until she also saw Nora flying on her Magnhild hammer towards the King Taijitu.** ** **"Nora Smash!" She yelled,** slamming the hammer on its head and killing the beast. **

"YEAH! Go Nora!" Hulk cheered.

"She seems to take after your mannerisms quite a bit, Hulk. Are you sure Nora is not perhaps YOUR lineage? Not mine?" Thor asked with a smirk.

Hulk growled at this. "Hey! Just because she said smash doesn't mean she's my kid!" Hulk growled.

 **Jaune, Pyrrha and Ren soon followed. "** **Let's move!" Pyrrha declared, her and Ren charging into the fray.** **Jaune was shocked that his leader role had been taken, letting out an annoyed grumble, before charging into the fray as well. Nora wound up and smacked away a creep with a mix of a baseball and golf swing, Ren jumped off of one Creep and kicked another in the face, before slashing away a beowulf.  
**

"Nice! They're already turning the tides." Cap said.

"Man. It's crazy what four teenagers with superpowers and insane weapons can do." Tony said.

 **Jaune jogged along, looking for a target of his own. "Okay, who's first?" He asked, before something massive landed behind him.** **Jaune turned around to notice a giant Ursa standing behind him, which roared in his face. "** **Oh-oh-okay, you're first, huh? Okay, no, that's fine." He said nervously, backing away a bit.**

"Uh-oh." Clint said.

"Not quite as big as the one he fought to save Cardin, but still undoubtedly formidable." Thor noted.

 **Pyrrha stabbed a Creep with her spear, pulling out and swinging it to slash another one, stabbing a beowulf and throwing it over herself, spinning and stabbing a Creep in the mouth. She then noticed Jaune's predicament, thinking of jumping in like she did with the Ursa Major, but waited to see what her leader would do first.**

"What's she doing?! He could get killed!" Spider-Man said.

"But if she helps him every time, he'll never be able to do it on his own." Widow said.

 **"Totally fine, done this before, done this before..." Jaune told himself, stopping and taking a deep breath. Then, w** **ith a mighty scream, Jaune slashed the Ursa several times before it fell. Pyrrha smiled as she noticed his improvement.**

"He's gotten better." Cap said.

"He had a good teacher." Hulk said.

 **A few feet from the fallen Ursa, Sun and Neptune arrived, flashing their badges.** **"Nobody move! Junior detectives!" Sun ordered.**

 **"We have badges so you know it's official!" Neptune added, the two fist bumping.**

"But you're still only JUNIOR detective. No real power. Like a mall cop." Clint said.

"At least mall cops have SOME authority." Peter said, trying to help out the mall cops. They already get joked on WAY too much.

 **A fleet coming from the Atlesian Military appeared, consisting of dropships deploying Atlesian Knight-200 units and the flagship of James Ironwood. Sun and Neptune reacted in awe of the fleet as Sun dropped his badge to the floor. As Team RWBY looked up in the sky, an Ursa took the opportunity to attack Ruby from behind. However, it was gunned down by a dropship's machine gun. As the robotic Knights deployed, they started gunning down the Grimm. Two of the Knights were stampeded on by a Boarbatusk, but a separate group of three Knights fired on an Ursa and another Ursa had fallen from a Knight's punch.**

"Well, physically they're not bad, but bringing down that Ursa took way too many shots." Tony analyzed.

"Indeed. These knights may be better odds in direct combat." Thor agreed.

 **Cinder nodded her head, signaling Mercury and Emerald to attack the Grimm as she walked off. As an Ursa received the business end of Talaria, at least half a dozen assorted Grimm stood in front of Emerald. It turned out that Thief's Respite was actually a pair of bladed, revolver-shaped pistols firing Dust particle lasers at the Grimm. The Grimm pack learned this the hard way when all but a single Ursa fell while charging at Emerald. Emerald quickly transformed her pistols into kopis blades, flipping and slashing at the rampaging Ursa to kill it.**

"Interesting weapons, but nothing too impressive." Natasha said.

"They're probably only helping to keep up their cover." Cap deduced.

 **Out of the opening from the crash came Zwei in a damaged Atlesian Paladin-290. The corgi jumped off of the Paladin and headbutted a beowulf, knocking it away.**

"YEAH, ZWEI!" The Avengers all cheered at once.

 **Another airship arrived, dropping off Team CFVY and Professor Peter Port. As Yatsuhashi Daichi was surrounded by a pack of Grimm, he swung his mighty greatsword on the ground, unleashing a shockwave. Velvet and Fox Alistair respectively kicked and punched the Grimm and Fox unleashed a combo of slashes and punches that made a spiked Ursa explode, impaling the nearby Grimm with its spikes. Coco smacked a spike away with her purse as Yatsuhashi deflected one away from Velvet.  
**

"Whoa! Check out the second years! They're dominating the Grimm!" Clint said.

"And Bunny Girl ain't even using her weapon." Hulk noticed.

 **"Nice hustle, Fox. Good job."** **Coco told him and gave him a light pat on the butt. She then** **approached a large Beowolf. "** **You just destroyed my favorite clothing store." She told it, before spitting. "Prepare to die." She told it.**

 **Coco, after swatting away its right hand, kicked the Beowolf in the crotch. She, as it fell to the ground and looked at her, leaned down and slammed her bag onto its head, shattering the concrete beneath it. She effortlessly swatted away more Beowolves and the rest of Team CFVY resumed fighting.**

"Another masterful young warrior. She fought them off with little more than her purse!" Thor said impressed.

Peter shivered when Coco kicked the Grimm. "Ugh. Even the Grimm aren't immune to crotch shots." He said fearfully.

 **Velvet stepped forward, about to open her box, but Coco stopped her.** **"Hey, come on, you just spent all the semester building that up. Don't waste it here." She told her.** **Coco then transformed her handbag into a giant minigun and started firing, slaughtering the advancing horde of Grimm, including a Death Stalker and three Nevermores.**

The Avengers were left stunned at this. However, after a few moments, Natasha was the first to recover. "Stark." She said.

"I'll work on it." He told her, already knowing she wanted her own version.

"But if they wanted Velvet to save whatever her weapon is, it's likely more powerful than Coco's minigun. So just what could Velvet's weapon be?" Cap wondered.

 **Port and Oobleck regrouped at the opening, nodding their heads. They fired their weapons at the approaching Grimm, while Glynda Goodwitch mopped up the remnants and immediately closed the opening with the power of telekinesis.**

"And that takes care of that." Cap said.

"I'm almost disappointed. I kinda wanted to see what else these guys could do." Clint said.

"I'm sure we'll see more of all of them in the future." Cap assured him.

* * *

 **Later on, everyone met in the pavilion as Roman Torchwick was escorted by Mercury and Emerald towards an Atlesian airship. "** **Oh, I can't believe that you caught me, you've really taught me the error of my ways." Roman said in a horribly acted tone. "He-hey, watch the hat!" He complained** **to an Atlesian Knight, who grabbed him by the arm.**

"They didn't even touch your hat!" Peter snapped.

"What a drama queen." Clint said, rolling his eyes, causing everyone to look at him questioningly.

 **Emerald and Mercury then approached Ruby and they smiled at each other. Team JNPR was seen exchanging smiles, Sun and Neptune bumped fists, Team CFVY likewise smiled at each other and Port and Oobleck did the same while Glynda watched from behind. The view then lifted towards the orange and pink-colored sky.**

"It's nice to see everyone coming together and enjoying themselves after a tough battle." Cap said with a smile.

"Yeah. Too bad Emerald and Mercury were there. They don't deserve to be with the group." Hulk growled.

* * *

 **Afterwards, Team RWBY and Zwei were sitting on the edge of Beacon's landing platform, overlooking the City of Vale from across the lake. "** **Well, we did it." Yang said.**

 **"We did it." Blake said.  
**

 **"If we don't get extra credit for that, I'm gonna be seriously disappointed." Weiss said.**

"Not likely. Half the town got wrecked." Peter said.

"And it wasn't extra work. It was a standard school assignment." Widow added.

 **"Weiss, a two-headed snake literally crushed a bakery. I wouldn't count on it." Yang told her.**

 **"Plus, I mean, we didn't solve everything. A lot of people were hurt, and we still don't even know why they did this, or who that mystery girl was." Ruby said.**

 **"Well, not every story has a neat and tidy ending." Weiss said.**

"But they should, or it's lazy writing." Tony said.

"But remember, Stark. This is not yet the end. Cinder's true plan has not yet been revealed." Thor reminded the billionaire.

 **"We might not have all the answers, but we do have a lot of dangerous people behind bars. And I think that's something we could be proud of." Blake reassured her leader.  
**

 **"Yeah! And if anyone tries something like this again, we'll be there to stop them." Ruby said determinedly.**

 **Yang layed down on her back, Zwei mimicking her. "Yay, teamwork, camaraderie, good guys, go team, alright, good job... So, what now?" She asked tiredly.**

The Avengers all chuckled at Zwei mimicking Yang. "I almost wish this show was just about Zwei." Clint said.

"I'd watch it." Hulk agreed.

 **"I suggest training for the tournament, but I guess we have that covered at this point." Weiss said.**

 **"So then..." Blake started.**

 **"Uhh... Time for bed?" Ruby suggested.**

"Good idea. They missed a lot of sleep on that mission and they're still growing. They need all the rest they can get." Cap said.

"And you can't say they didn't earn it." Tony said.

"Agreed. They greatly earned a much-needed respite." Thor agreed.

 **"Please." Yang agreed.  
**

 **"Absolutely." Blake accepted.**

 **"Yes." Weiss concurred.  
**

 **"I'm going to sleep forever." Yang said.** **Team RWBY and Zwei then stood up and headed back towards Beacon's main campus.**

* * *

 **Vale's Government Council called on Ozpin, who responded in his office. The headmaster aloofly stared outside his window.**

 **"Ozpin?" One of the councilmen asked. No response. "Ozpin!" He yelled.**

 **Ozpin turned his chair towards his desk. "** **Yes, Councilman." Ozpin greeted.**

"Oh, this can't be good." Clint said.

"In their eyes, Ozpin likely neglected to protect the city. That could have serious consequences." Widow said.

 **A video feed of the councilmen was shown on a holographic screen with Ironwood's video feed in the corner. "** **You've left us no choice! The Vytal Festival tournament cannot be broadcast, let alone held, if we are unable to ensure the safety of the citizens." The councilman told him.** **Ozpin sipped from his cup.**

 **"** **Ahem... Therefore, we have reached out to the Atlas Council and together have decided that the best action is to appoint General Ironwood as head of security for the event." The councilman informed him.**

 **"Thank you, Councilman. Our Kingdom is happy to lend as many troops as it takes to ensure that the event runs smoothly and safely as possible." Ironwood stated.  
**

"I mean, I want to say Ozpin's students and staff had it covered, but you can't deny the military really helped out." Tony said.

"But if everyone comes to think they need the Atlas military's help, that could cause stress and panic, which would attract more Grimm." Cap reasoned.

 **"And we thank you, General." The councilman said.**

 **"Will that be all?" Ozpin asked impatiently.**

"He's got way too much of an attitude for someone whose job's on the line." Peter said.

"He knows they won't fire him." Hulk said.

 **"For now. But after this festival comes to a close, we are going to have a serious discussion about your position at Beacon Academy. General Ironwood's reports over the last few weeks have left us somewhat... concerned. I am sure you understand." The councilman told him.**

"Uh-oh." Hulk said worriedly, his statement immediately going out the window.

"Spoke too soon, big guy." Clint said.

 **The faceless councilmen's video feed disappeared, leaving Ironwood's video feed alone with Ozpin. They silently stared at each other for a moment. "** **This is the right move, Ozpin. I promise, I will keep our people safe, you have to trust me."** **Ironwood told him before he hung up the video call. Ozpin then turned his chair around to look at the large Atlesian Ariship outside his window.**

"Traitor!" Thor snapped.

"Yeah. For someone who's always saying he's Ozpin's loyal friend, he's sure not showing it." Cap agreed, glaring at the general.

"Right. If they had sent his whole army like he suggested, then Vale would've been left vulnerable while they and the students were gone." Widow added.

* * *

 **The scene cut to Ironwood, looking towards Beacon and Ozpin's office through a window. "** **You brought this on yourself."** **Ironwood said, then walked toward a heavily guarded Roman in his holding cell, albeit without his signature hat. "** **Leave us." Ironwood instructed.** **The soldiers left Ironwood alone, so that he could talk to Roman. "** **I've been informed that so far you've refused to co-operate with the authorities." He told the crime lord.  
**

 **"I know this might be hard to believe, General, but uh... I'm not the biggest fan of local law enforcement." Roman told the general.  
**

"I mean, I don't know what else they'd expect." Peter said.

"He's either confident Cinder will have him free soon, or too intimidated to give her up." Cap said.

"And, you know, the whole, hating cops thing. I know I don't like talking to people I hate. Like my board members." Tony said.

 **"How about the world's strongest military power?" Ironwood demanded.  
**

 **"Hmm.. first impressions... not great." Roman said.**

"I don't want to, but I gotta admit, they guy makes you laugh." Clint chuckled.

"Just remember how often he tried to hurt or kill people." Widow said, glaring at the criminal.

 **"I'm going to give you one chance. Who's really behind all this?" Ironwood asked seriously.**

 **"Isn't it obvious?" Roman asked. Ironwood leaned his ear toward him to hear his answer. "You're looking at him." Roman lied.  
**

"Liar!" Thor snapped.

"No one's gonna believe that!" Hulk shouted.

 **"Hm.. Very well then."** **Ironwood said and started walking away.**

 **"What's the matter, General? I thought you wanted to talk." Roman taunted.**

 **"The council's given me custody over you for as long as I see fit. So you can make yourself comfortable. I can be sure that you'll have plenty of time to talk." Ironwood warned him.**

 **"Oh, wonderful. Hehehe..." Roman laughed as the view moved** **towards his face. His holding cell door closed.**

"Oh, that can't be good." Tony said.

"They must want him to be held captive. He's on the general's ship. That could be a major problem later down the line. That's a powerful flagship. It'd be a devastating weapon in the wrong hands." Cap said worriedly.

* * *

 **Cinder, Mercury, and Emerald met discreetly at a rooftop. "** **All in all, I call today a success." Cinder told them.**

 **"Those stupid kids really made a mess of things." Emerald said, annoyed.**

 **"Yeah. A lot of Faunus didn't make it out the tunnels. You still think the White Fang's gonna listen to us?" Mercury asked.**

 **"No, but they'll listen to me." A familiar voice rang out, before Adam Taurus appeared on-screen.**

* * *

"Not him again!" Hulk snapped.

"That's not good. Blake's biggest fears are about to come true." Cap said.

"I don't know. They'll be pretty hard pressed to top this." Tony told him.

"They're villains. Coming up with bigger, crazier plans is what they do." Clint countered.

"But it's pretty clear they have plans beyond this. They wouldn't need to infiltrate Beacon for any part of the plan team RWBY just stopped." Natasha added.

"Indeed. I fear the machinations behind this scheme may put even Loki's treachery to shame." Thor said.

"I can't take it! I need to see what happens next!" Spider-Man said.

However, an alarm suddenly went off. "You'll have to wait, Spider-Man. It looks like Doom is attacking the city with his Doombots. We'll watch more later. For now, Avengers assemble!" Cap ordered as they geared up and moved out.

* * *

 **A/N: Hello, everyone! Just a real quick update. For those wondering about the after-credits scene, I didn't include it because it was contradicted in Volume 4 and eventually declared non-canon by Rooster Teeth. So if it didn't happen in the actual story, it's not happening in this story.**


	29. Episode 23: Round One

The Avengers returned from their latest mission, having employed several tactics and moves they saw from the last viewing of RWBY, with great success. Widow even mixed a bit of Yang and Neo's styles to make for an untouchable defense, paired with a devastating offense. "Honestly, finding the RWBY universe might be the greatest thing Loki has ever done." Natasha said.

"Definitely. Tony's been upgrading our weapons like crazy trying to make them more like the ones in the show." Clint agreed.

"And those weapons certainly saved the day on a number of our passed missions." Cap said.

"Yeah. Who know competing with teenage girls was so helpful." Hulk taunted.

"And let's not forget it's helping Spidey find a girlfriend and Thor find his long lost daughters." Tony teased as well.

"Oh, come on! Did you really have to bring that up!?" Spider-Man groaned.

"Indeed, Stark. You've quite effectively ruined the moment. And gotten on my nerves!" Thor snapped.

"It's a gift." Tony said.

Thor made his way towards Tony, but Natasha got between them. "Whoa there, boys. How about we just watch more of the show before you tear each other apart." She suggested.

"Sounds good to me." Tony agreed.

"Fair enough." Thor huffed, everyone gathering snacks and taking their seats before Widow started the show.

* * *

 **A view of the golden sun in an orange sky over the tall grass and autumn trees. In front of Summer's Gravestone was a young girl with a cloak billowing petals in the breeze. Hands clasped and hood up, Ruby stood over the white stone memorial.**

"Her mother's grave..." Cap said sympathetically.

"No child that young should be without their mother." Thor said sadly.

 **Ruby lowered her hood, smiling sadly downward. "Hey, mom." She greeted the tombstone, looking down at the inscription: "Summer Rose – Thus Kindly I Scatter". "Sorry I haven't come by in a while. Things have been... well, things have been, pretty busy. Oh, Dad's here, too! He's, uh, you know... Dad." She said and shrugged. "He's still teaching at Signal. But he told me that he's going to be on some mission soon. I think he misses adventuring with you." She said, looking forlornly.**

 **"I miss you too." She said, then paused. "Haven't gotten kicked out of Beacon yet! So that's cool. I think being on a team with Yang helps. Keep her in line... That was a joke. She's actually a really great fighter! You can tell she's learned a lot from Dad! Oh, so are Weiss and Blake. Oh! They're my teammates! Together, we form Team RWBY! And yes, before you ask, that does cause a lot of confusion." She said, a bit embarrassed.**

The Avengers all chuckled at this. "I gotta admit, it was a little confusing at first." Peter admitted.

"Yeah and if you thought Ruby came up with the name, you'd probably think she was a spoiled brat." Hawkeye agreed.

 **"Anyways, I made a bunch of new friends, and then I met some... let's just say, uh, odd teachers. Oh! We've also stopped some bad guys, too! I guess it's like they say: 'like mother, like daughter'! I still wonder why Ozpin let me into the school early. But uh, I guess he'll tell me one day. You know how he is. It's funny, the more I get to know him, the more he's starting to sound like Uncle Qrow." She said. A bark alerted her to the ever-adorable Zwei and the sight of her father, Taiyang Xiao Long, in the trees behind her.**

"She is a fine warrior! She has earned her spot at the academy!" Thor declared.

"The first thing he said was about her silver eyes. They gotta be important." Hulk theorized.

 **"Oh! Looks like Dad's back! I gotta go! He's dropping me off at Beacon for the tournament match before he goes on his next mission. Wish me luck!" She said and put the hood back on and started to walk away, but turned and delivered one final message to her mother: "It was good to talk." She added.**

 **With that said, Ruby jogged back to her family as a group of crows flew into the sun.**

"Hey, is it just me, or do those crows flying at the sun seem oddly familiar?" Tony asked.

"Yeah. It feels like we've seen a symbol like that before, but I can't put my finger on it. But... It gives me a warm feeling. Like a good memory." Natasha said with a small smile. **[1]**

* * *

 **A falling petal shifted the view from the sky and over the grassy mountains, where a stadium of epic proportions was seen. Crowds were cheering in the stands, visitors from all over the world. In the field of volcanic earth and icy glaciers below, Ruby fired and swung her Crescent Rose at an off-screen target as Blake exchanged blows with Reese Chloris, the blades of her Gambol Shroud colliding with the hoverboard of her opponent until she flipped away, readied herself and charged in again. Behind her, Weiss waved her Myrtenaster as the sound of her mystical power was heard and finally Yang dodged the explosive force of Arslan Altan's fist before returning fire with her own Ember Celica.**

"Whoa! That's quite the 180!" Hawkeye said, surprised.

"Indeed, but now we are treated to the glorious spectacle of combat!" Thor boomed.

"Yeah! right to the action!" Hulk cheered.

 **High above the action, two familiar teachers were sitting at a sportscaster's desk, with a microphone between them and the holographic image of the four kingdoms' symbols united as one.**

 **"Hello! It seems that we have another astonishing bout ahead of us! Wouldn't you agree, Professor?" Port announced, turning to his cohost.**

 **"Doctor." Oobleck corrected, annoyed, before brightening up excitedly again. "And yes Peter, I think it's safe to say this match may be the closest we've seen of the four-on-four round of the tournament!" He declared.**

 **"For those of you just now joining us, welcome to the Vytal Festival Tournament, broadcast live from the Amity Colosseum!" He greeted and waved his arm to gesture at the entire event from his place on the gigantic screen over the crowds.**

"Port and Oobleck, huh? I'd say they're a good fit for announcers." Widow said.

"A guy who loves to ham up all his stories and another who talks fast and loves to explain everything? Yeah, spot on. I don't watch a lot of sports, but the ones I've seen have announcers like that." Spider-Man agreed.

 **The Coliseum was shown in its full glory, as shuttle crafts transported people to and from the various floors while the entire structure hovered around the airspace of Beacon Academy. Explosions were seen throughout the battlefield, but the view shifted back to the announcers as they began speaking again.**

 **"If this is your first time watching, allow us to break down the rules." Port started.**

 **"The tournament is divided into three distinctive rounds; teams, doubles, and singles. Age and school year are irrelevant! In this tournament, your only attribute being tested... is skill." Oobleck explained as he held up the appropriate number of fingers for each of his explanations while a hologram to his side illustrated the rules.**

"As it should be." Cap said with a nod.

"Yep. Even the older students with more experience can still lose if the younger kids got better game." Tony agreed.

 **Port nodded as another hologram popped up to give further examples of the professor's explanation. "Correct! The winners of this battle will elect two of their members to represent them in the doubles round, followed by the winners of that round choosing one member to advance once again. The remaining combatants will then fight their way through the final bracket in the hope of achieving victory for their kingdom!" He explained as the hologram disappeared with the image of a victorious figure, sword raised and wearing a crown.**

"Interesting. So they'll have to learn to adapt their strategies as they advance into further rounds." Widow noted.

"Yeah. Can't rely on the same strategy over and over, teach the kids to think on their own. Nice." Clint agreed.

 **"And yes, Peter, these certainly are some spectacular spectacles on which to spectate on! I don't think anyone tuning in around the world is going to disagree with me on that!"** **Oobleck declared, pushing up his own spectacles as he said this. A** **s this was said, the scene changed to their televised broadcasts all around the kingdoms, from a row of holographs above the patrons in the Mistral Distillery to an Atlas home with a group of friends seeing it together, a bar in Vale where everyone turned to view the screen and outside a mobile home in Vacuo being watched by a few Faunus on a projection.**

The Avengers were impressed with the size of the viewing audiences.

 **"Ahh, and why would they? Now, let's get back to the match between Team RWBY of Beacon, and Team ABRN, of Haven." Port announced.**

"Go, team RWBY! You can do it!" Peter cheered.

"Wishing your girlfriend the best of luck?" Hulk teased.

"Oh, knock it off!" Spider-Man snapped.

 **The announcements cut back to the action, as Reese steered her board through the ice. She twirled herself until the board got launched at Blake, but she was able to knock it away, only for Reese to direct it back at her opponent. Blake blocked it again, but the board rotated back to its wielder just in time to defend Reese as Blake delivered several slashes and kicks. Reese deflected each attack and spun her weapon around until she could flip away and ride it again, rushing towards a smirking Blake. She collided with the frozen shadow clone and Blake used this opportunity to slice the board in two, only for the halves to become dual katars that, in turn folded up into bayonet-bladed revolvers. Reese managed to fire off a few green rounds before her tailbone collided painfully on the cold ground. Blake winced with sympathy.**

The Avengers all winced as well. "That's gotta hurt." Tony said.

"She should be wearing a helmet." Cap lightly lectured, despite knowing the girl couldn't hear him.

 **Meanwhile, Yang landed mere feet away from Arslan, who backed away before being pounded by a flurry of punches and kicks until she delivered her own hits, ending with the two smashing fists and creating a shockwave of force from the impact. Yang and Arslan were both thrown back, but Yang reached her and tried delivering more blows before Arslan used her rope dart to tangle up her blonde adversary and landed a kick of her own to send Yang skidding on the ground. While Yang tried to get her balance back on the slippery surface, Arslan rushed forward and knocked her back even further.**

 **Nearby, Nadir Shiko tried aiming with his assault rifle at Yang before a sudden burst of frosty blue exploded behind him and left the whimpering gunner in a block of ice up to his thighs.** (The Avengers chuckled at the boy's unfortunate situation.)

 **Ruby looked up from her sniper scope. "Got your back!" She told her sister.**

"Wonderful, young Ruby! Excellent work defending your teammate!" Thor praised.

"They're sisters. They've got to have each other's backs." Widow said.

 **"But who's got yours?" Bolin questioned from behind her.**

 **Ruby looked up behind her as Bolin twirled his staff, right when a black snowflake glyph appeared to his left and Weiss kicked him through it into a rock. "** **My BFF!" Ruby declared to herself.**

 **Weiss deadpanned at this. "No." She said sternly, before she ran off.**

 **Ruby whispered to herself,** **pumping her fist.** **"Yes."**

"She knows she's Ruby's BFF." Spider-Man said.

"Yep. She's stealing your girlfriend from you, Spidey." Hawkeye teased, causing Peter to facepalm.

 **Bolin crouched with his weapon as he saw a white glyph appear in front of him. A second later, Weiss dashed by and slashed at him, then jumped up and attempted an aerial attack, which he was able to block. She readied her sword while preparing a glyph behind her and Ruby used it to launch herself straight up and come down spinning on Bolin, who manages to block the curved blade. Ruby grimaced and blasted herself away to Weiss' side and Bolin rushed at them, rolling away from the shards of ice that rain on him and jumping over Ruby's swing as he continues running.**

 **"Whaaat!?" Ruby cried out in shock and annoyance.**

 **Bolin managed to reach an orange crystal deposit and sliced off a shard, which he threw to Reese over in the icy half of the stadium. With Dust in hand, Reese fused it with her board, turning the aqua lights to a crimson shade. She winked at Blake, then used the board's heat to free Nadir from his icy snare.**

"These kids aren't bad." Hulk said.

"I might have to make a board like that." Tony said.

 **She came back to Blake and slammed her board into her enemy's blade, but propelled herself backwards and knocked Blake through a frozen pillar. Reese attempted to use her board to slam her foe into the ground, but when she dodged that, she spun around in a flaming arc that Blake narrowly missed thanks to her shadows. Changing tactics, Blake launched the pistol part of Gambol Shroud at a nearby glacier and launched herself behind it, as Reese followed her and saw Blake with her back turned to her under an arch. Reese grinned before riding in to deliver a flaming spiral at the shadow clone, only to see the ribbon Blake was launching to trap her opponent a moment too late. She pulled tightly and caused Reese to slam body-first into the string, only to use a final kick to knock her out of the stage. Reese crashed into the wall of the stands before landing on the ground, defeated.**

The Avengers flinched once again at this. "Solid tactic, Blake." Widow praised.

"I've used that once or twice." Peter agreed.

 **"Ooh, a double whammy! Reese Chloris is eliminated by ringout and Aura level!"** **Port announced as Reese's Aura level dropped in the team display until her image was crossed out and she angrily slammed her fist on the ground.**

 **"Oh, she really should've worn a helmet!" Oobleck said.**

"Thank you!" Steve cried loudly.

"We get it, Cap, you're all about safety and rules. Not all of us are. And she'll probably learn from that in the future." Clint said.

 **Back in the fight, Arslan used her rope to swing around and avoid Yang right behind her, using shotgun blasts to propel herself forward. Nadir came into the picture, aiming his rifle at Weiss as she summoned another glyph and launched Bolin at him. The two teammates were helpless as Weiss created a whirlwind from underneath them and slamming the two together until she formed a giant ice fist straight up from the ground to trap the two. It reformed itself into a ball that rolled around the field and when Arslan saw her team in this state, she rolled her eyes, annoyed, before changing direction and sliding into the path of the ball. She readied her stance and drove her hand into the sphere, which cracked under her power and freed her allies.**

"Dang it didn't work." Hulk grumbled.

"But take a look at where they are." Tony pointed out, everyone realizing they were right at the edge of the ring.

 **"Yang!" Weiss called, Yang turning to look just as she created a large frozen slide-like shape. "NOW!" She instructed.**

 **Knowing what to do, Yang blasted herself forward and skimmed over the wall of ice, catching Blake's pistol as her teammate used Ruby as a launch pad to jump off of towards the remaining members of ABRN. The three only had a second to look horrified as Blake whipped a screaming Yang around to land a devastating punch that sent the trio flying into their elimination.**

"YEAH!" All the Avengers cheered at once.

"Man, that Bumblebee move's starting to look unbeatable." Peter said.

"We might have to come up with a way to use that ourselves." Cap said.

 **"Yes!"** **Yang cheered as the buzzer sounded and Ruby cheered "YAAAAAY!" in the background.**

 **"And that's the match! Team RWBY is victorious!" Port declared.**

 **"We... did it?"** **Weiss asked, looking around and sounding surprised.**

"Indeed! Take pride in your victory, Team RWBY and prepare for your next battle, so you may gain further glories!" Thor cheered inspiringly. Only one problem...

"You know they can't hear you, right?" Hulk told him.

 **Ruby looked at her sister for confirmation, Yang nodding to assure her they indeed won. She smiled and jumped into the air. "WE DID IIIIII-" She began screaming...**

* * *

 **Before a sudden transition to a grassy area had Ruby suddenly hunched over. " -...is anyone else starving?" She questioned in an almost pained tone.**

"That was an intense fight. I wouldn't be surprised if they burnt a lot of calories and worked up an appetite." Widow said.

"Then hopefully aura doesn't come with super metabolism." Tony said. Because of their healing factors, Captain America, Spider-Man and Black Widow all ate quite a decent amount, especially after a workout. Their appetites had put a small dent in Tony's wallet.

 **Blake looked cool as ever, arms behind her head. "I may have worked up an appetite." She said, not seeming to care one way or the other, but the sudden growling of an angry beast from her stomach proved her statement, much to its owner embarrassment.**

The Avengers all laughed at this.

 **"Gee, if only there was somewhere on campus to get food around here."** **Weiss began, sarcastically shrugging her arms. Suddenly, t** **he view zoomed out to show a myriad of tents and small shops wreathed in colorful flags in a large forest clearing as people milled about to experience it all. "Oh, wait." She said.**

"Well, at least they've got plenty of options." Clint said.

"Indeed. A warrior's options for sustenance should be endless!" Thor agreed.

 **"It's okay, Weiss, I forget about the fairgrounds, too."** **Ruby assured her partner, taking Weiss' shoulder.**

 **"I was being facetious."** **Weiss told her, knocking Ruby's arm away.**

"What?" Hulk asked.

"Flippant or sarcastic." Peter explained.

 **Ruby freaked out. "Gah! Well if you were hungry, why didn't you say so!?" She demanded.**

 **"Come on! I know just the place." Yang told her teammates.**

 **Team RWBY started to follow Yang, but Weiss suddenly stopped as she heard a ringtone on her Scroll. Pulling it out, she saw the caller ID labeled "FATHER" and glared at the device, putting it back from where she got it, unanswered.**

"I guess she's still having issues with her father." Cap said sadly.

"Eh. He's probably trying to use her as advertising since she's in this big tournament." Tony said, remembering his own father's business mindset.

 **Off-screen, a dark-skinned hand held a red wallet filled with Lien. "Hey! Might be hard to eat without this." Emerald said.**

 **Ruby recognized the wallet to be hers and frantically patted around her outfit. "No, no, no, no!" She said in a** **panic.**

 **Emerald laughed at Ruby's behavior. "Good to see you, Ruby." She said in a supposedly happy tone.**

"Emerald. She probably stole Ruby's wallet." Clint said, glaring a bit.

"Then why return it?" Thor questioned.

"She's likely trying to start a conversation so she can get information on them for Cinder." Natasha theorized.

 **Ruby took the wallet back from her "friend" and put it away. "Oh! Thanks, Emerald! Oh. Guess I dropped it. Girl pockets are the worst!" Ruby said gratefully, slouching as she said this.**

 **"What's up, Em?" Yang asked.**

 **"Just left the stadium after your amazing fight! You guys were awesome!" Emerald praised.**

 **"Oh, shut your stupid little face..."** **Ruby mumbled while blushing.**

"Aww, she's still so socially awkward." Peter said with a smile.

"Just like you. That's why you make a good couple." Tony teased.

 **"I heard your team progressed to the next round too."** **Blake said over Ruby's incoherent gushing.**

 **"You know, I feel that we haven't seen your other teammates." Weiss noted.**

 **"How'd they do in the fight?" Yang asked.**

 **Emerald tilted her head up in thought, remembering the fight.**

* * *

 **Emerald blasted opponents with Thief's Respite, then slashed behind her as Mercury kicked out a shotgun blast with Talaria. Cinder did the same with her own target, landing the poor soul at the feet of their teammate, a mysterious black-haired girl who leaned over and stared down as the camera focused on how her green eyes blinked into a pair of pink and brown irises as she smirked while delivering a stomp on her victim's face into darkness.**

The Avengers all flinched at this. "Ouch..." Peter said.

"Well, good to see Neo's vicious and crazy as ever." Tony noted sarcastically.

* * *

 **Emerald came back to reality, nodding. "Really well." She told them.**

 **"That's great. Uh. Why don't we all go and get a victory food together?" Ruby offered.**

 **"Oh, gosh, that's so nice of you, but my teammates are all kind of..." Emerald started, before looking back at Mercury as he sniffed the inside of a boot, looking perplexed after he did so. "...introverted. Really socially awkward." She explained.**

Most of the Avengers grimaced at this. "Even I wouldn't do that." Hulk said, disgusted.

"Actually, there's a legitimate reason for doing that." Tony informed, everyone looking to him. "Imitation leather has a different smell than real leather, so if you sniff it, you can tell which is which so you don't get ripped off." He explained. "I mean, now there are better ways to tell, but maybe Remnant doesn't have those." He added.

 **"Ooh, yeah, I could see that."** **Yang agreed, nodding.**

 **"Oh yeah, looks like Merc and I are going to move on to the doubles round. What about you guys?" Emerald asked.**

 **"Well, as the leader of this team, I thought long and hard about this decision."** **Ruby explained, looking pretty proud of herself.**

 **"We put it to a vote."** **Weiss popped in to remind her, straight-faced.**

 **"Yes, so, but I decided that we should put it to a vote."** **Ruby nervously tried to backtrack.**

This earned another laugh from the Avengers. "Now you know how I feel when one of you runs off and goes against the plan." Cap told them all.

"Sorry." The rest of them said.

 **"We voted for Weiss and Yang." Blake explained.**

 **"I will happily represent Team RWBY."** **Weiss declared, curtsying.**

 **"Yeah, we're going to kick some butt!"** **Yang said, pounding her fists together.**

"Yes! Fight for the glory of your team!" Thor cheered.

"But now they know their team and can plan for it." Clint told the god of thunder.

 **Emerald laughed. "Well, if Mercury and I see you down the line, don't think we'll go easy on ya." She playfully warned with a smirk.**

 **Yang and Weiss returned Emerald's confident smirk with their own. "Wouldn't have it any other way." Yang said.**

 **"Alright, well we're going to catch some more fights."** **Emerald said as she turned and walked away from them as they did the same.**

 **"Have fun!"** **Ruby called after her, waving her arm.**

 **"See you later!"** **Emerald called back, cheerfully giving her own wave. She turned and walked away, at which point, she** **immediately dropped the act as she walked with Mercury and looked disgusted.**

"I hate to admit it, but she's great at acting and putting on that friendly facade." Natasha said.

"I always hated people being able to lie like that at all." Peter added.

 **"So, how are the new friends?" Mercury asked teasingly.**

 **Emerald scowled. "I hate them." She grumbled.**

 **Mercury shrugged. "Orders are orders." He told her.**

 **"I just... how can they be so happy all the time!?"** **Emerald demanded, mashing her fingers together angrily.**

 **"Did you at least get what we want?" Mercury asked.**

 **"It's the heiress and the bimbo."** **Emerald answered quickly, waving his question away.**

"Well that's not nice. And you're showing about as much skin as Yang." Tony said.

"You gonna let her talk about your daughter like that, blondie?" Hulk teased Thor.

"She is not my daughter!" Thor snapped. "Although I will admit, it displeases me greatly to hear Emerald speak of her in such a way." The god of thunder admitted.

 **"Hmm, alright. At least we know who we're working with." Mercury said.**

"So it was to get info on their next members. I have a bad feeling what might come next." Cap said, the others nodding in agreement.

* * *

 **At one of the unassuming huts set up in the fairgrounds stringed with paper lanterns with a sign overhead saying A Simple Wok, Team RWBY sat at the stools outside, ready to order.**

 **"I'll have a bowl of the regular, please."** **Yang placed her order to someone off-screen, after which** **a large bowl of noodles was slid in front of her.**

Everyone was shocked by the large portion. "Whoa! That's almost a big enough meal for Hulk!" Hawkeye chuckled.

"We gotta find Remnant." Hulk said, deadly serious.

 **Ruby stared at Yang's meal with interest. "Oohhh... I'll take the same." She ordered, a large bowl of noodles being slid in front of her as well, to which she clasped her hands in excitement.**

 **Weiss, however, looked concerned at this massive portion of noodles. "Do you have anything with a low-salt...?" She started, before another large bowl of regular noodles was instantly slid in front of her instead. "Um... okay..." She said unsurely.**

 **Instead of saying anything, Blake merely gave a nod and smile to the Shopkeep, who returned the gesture as he rushed through one door of his shop and came out the other to leave a large bowl of noodles topped with fish in front of her. Blake's eyes lit up as she drooled over her order.**

"Man, Blake must come here all the time for her to just nod to get what she wants. I should know, I do the same at the places I go to like, twice a week." Peter said.

"She's not doing too good of a job hiding her cat instincts, though." Widow noted.

 **While Weiss looked strangely at her teammate, she gladly offered her Schnee Dust Company credit card to the Shopkeep.** **"Aw, Weiss! What's the occasion!?" Yang asked endearingly.**

 **"Consider it thanks for sending me to the doubles round." Weiss told her team happily. Her joy was ruined, however, when the card was flung back at her and the annoyed Shopkeep pointed to his register as it beeped "DECLINED". "What?! How can my card be declined? I was barely into my monthly allowance!" Weiss asked in disbelief.**

"What could've gone wrong?" Cap asked.

"I'm guessing dear old dad cut her off for not calling." Tony said. Again, this was a favorite tactic of his own father.

 **Blake looked around panicked, before she attempted to slowly slide her bowl closer to herself, but the Shopkeep disappeared with her food, causing the poor girl to slump over in defeat. "Nooo!" She cried out in despair.**

 **"Maybe I could help?" A familiar voice asked off-screen. The girls of RWBY looked up to see Team JNPR approach the stand.**

 **"Pyrrha!"** **Ruby cried out happily, flinging her arms wide in delight.**

 **"Aw, you don't have to ..." Yang told Mistral's champion.**

 **"But she could!" Blake interrupted desperately.**

"Young Blake is truly desperate for this food." Thor said.

"Well, it's pretty clear she's obsessed with fish at this point." Hawkeye said.

 **"Well, I think you all earned it after that battle." Pyrrha told them.**

 **"Mind if we join you?" Jaune asked.**

 **Later on, the bowls were empty and each student was either content with their meal or holding their stomachs sickly.** **"Are you sure it's wise to have eaten before a fight?"** **Ren asked Pyrrha.**

"Definitely not a portion that big." Cap said.

"Oh, yeah. I remember I ate a triple burrito before battling taking on the Kraven. That wasn't fun." Peter said, holding his stomach.

 **"Of course! It will give us energy!"** **Pyrrha assured him as the Shopkeep quickly gathered the bowls and vanished.**

 **Nora simply gave a hearty belch.**

 **Jaune splayed himself over the counter. "If I barf, I'm blaming you." He told his partner sickly.**

 **"Ooh!" Nora said excitedly. "Aim at the enemy!" She told him,** **grinning evilly.**

"Maybe I should try that next time I'm sick." Hulk said.

"A cowardly, dishonorable tactic!" Thor snapped.

 **"Nora, that's disgusting. But if you feel the urge..." Ren first scolded his childhood friend, but then opened up to the idea.**

 **"Got it."** **Jaune confirmed, giving a weak thumbs-up.**

 **"Well, we should be off."** **Pyrrha said, standing up from her stool.**

 **"So, you think you guys are ready?" Ruby asked.**

"They should be fine. They've all been improving and they've got Pyrrha." Tony noted.

"Yeah, but you should never rely on one singular member of the team." Natasha reminded the billionaire.

 **"Of course! We've got a world-renowned fighter on our team, one's basically ninja, I can bench five of me, Jaune, we trained all year, our weapons are awesome, Glynda barely yells at us anymore, and uh... Jaune!"** **Nora explained, gesturing to each of her teammates as she mentioned them.**

 **"Are you gonna take that?"** **Ren asked his team leader.**

 **"She's not wrong." Jaune admitted.**

"You've been improving, Jaune. Give yourself more credit." Cap said.

"But he's still aware he's the weakest link of the team." Hawkeye told him.

 **"I'm kidding, he knows I'm kidding." Nora assured him, then began talking quickly. "Don't be so nervous! The worst that can happen is we lose, that is just a few more years of walking around school with everyone knowing we're failures, our friends will slowly abandon us to preserve their social status, we won't be able to show our faces in class, no one will sit with us in the cafeteria, Ren and I have no parents, we have no home left to go to, we'll be officially renamed Team Lose-iper!" She explained, t** **he color slowly draining away as she got more worried,** **her mad laughter turning into sobs as she slammed her head on the counter.**

"Nora and Ren don't have families?" Peter asked in surprise.

"It's a shame, but it happens." Natasha said sympathetically.

 **"So, yeah, we're feeling pretty good."** **Ren said, unperturbed.**

 **"Don't fret. If anything, we should be looking forward to a fight with actual guidelines, and not, well... murderers." Pyrrha told them.**

 **"Yeah, don't sweat it, we've all faced way worse before." Yang said encouragingly.**

 **"Let's see. Grimm invasions, violent extremists, a destructive sociopath..."** **Blake counted off the threats on her fingers.**

 **"And that's all while were still in training! Oh, imagine what it would be like to graduate!" Ruby said excitedly.**

"It's quite impressive. They've taken on things similar to our biggest threats while they're still in high school." Tony praised.

"Yeah. And they schooled all of them!" Hulk laughed.

 **"Maybe then I'll be able to pay for a meal."** **Weiss sarcastically mumbled to herself.**

The Avengers all chuckled at this.

 **"Would Team JNPR please report to the battlegrounds immediately!"** **Port's voice came crackling in over the intercom system.**

 **"Yes! Like they were scheduled to, several minutes ago!"** **Oobleck added to Port's order.**

 **"Well, it looks like this is it." Pyrrha said.**

 **"Go get 'em!"** **Ruby cried out to Team JNPR as they walked away, Nora still depressed and Jaune looking queasy.**

"Yes! Onto further battles and victory!" Thor cheered.

"As long as they don't throw up on the enemy, right?" Clint said with a smirk.

* * *

 **Team RWBY entered the Coliseum through one of its tunnels and headed to their seats as Emerald and Mercury were seen walking behind them to do the same. Down in the field below, the scorched ground and cold plains were no more and only a layer of white mechanics was left, with a central stage on which the two teams gathered.**

 **"I wonder who's gonna win."** **Mercury wondered, having found his seat with Emerald and munching on a large tub of popcorn.**

"How could they possibly know who will win?" Thor questioned.

"They've probably analyzed both teams thoroughly in case they had to go up against them." Widow theorized.

"Wait!" Peter said, getting all their attention. "The dance! Cinder uploaded a virus! They might have access to how the fights are set up!" He analyzed. This shocked everyone as they processed the information.

"So they're rigging the tournament. But that can't be all. They aren't in all this JUST to win some tournament. They're clearly trying to bring down Beacon somehow." Cap processed all the new information.

 **"Tch. As if we didn't already know." Emerald dismissed.**

 **Cinder walked up behind them, showing off her new outfit of jeans, an orange jacket and sarashi bandages over her chest as she took an kernel that hadn't popped from Mercury's bucket. "Oh, come now. Even if you know how the story ends, that doesn't make it any less fun to watch." She told her underlings as her eyes glowed with her fingertips and the kernel finally popped, which she enjoyed while sitting down as Mercury and Emerald shared a devious smirk.**

 **"Team JNPR of Beacon versus Team BRNZ of Shade!"** **Port announced over the cheering crowds.**

 **As each team readied their poses, a circle of holographic roulettes started spinning frantically through various symbols and colors before finally landing on a green pine tree and gray thunderstruck mountain. With these random selections, half of the field opened to reveal a tree-filled forest, while the other raised a small rocky outcropping to filled in the circle. Jaune narrowed his eyes in concentration while Ruby let out a loud "WHOOO-HOOO!" from her seat.**

 **"Three, two, one, begin!" Port declared.**

 **As the match started, each team rushed forward at the other, ready to begin fighting just as everything went black.**

* * *

"Wow, this is gonna be a Volume with a lot of action." Tony said.

"Right, but now we don't know how much of this action is manipulated by Cinder." Steve said.

"And what they're ultimate goal is. It must revolve around the festival somehow, so they must be getting close to putting their plan into action." Peter added.

"And it must be even bigger than the Breach. I can't imagine what it must be, then." Clint reminded them.

"This does not bode well for RWBY and their friends." Thor said, concerned.

"They'll beat them somehow. They have to." Hulk said.

"We'll find out soon enough." Natasha said, playing the next episode.

* * *

 **A/N: And done! Thank you so much for reading and enjoying my story. I'm sorry I hadn't updated in so long. I was having computer problems, but now those are fixed and updates will be back to a more regular schedule.**

 **1: The crows flying to the sun is a reference to Monty's old video openings before he joined Rooster Teeth. R.I.P Monty.**


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